Skip to main content

Advocacy

Fox Valley Climate Justice Rally

Date: 
Saturday, April 24, 2021 - 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: 
Houdini Plaza, 111 W College Ave, Appleton

Join ESTHER and other local and statewide climate advocacy groups for a Climate Justice Rally in Appleton on Saturday, April 24th!

From noon to 2 p.m., we’ll be gathering on Houdini Plaza to demand climate justice and a sustainable future! We are calling on elected officials at all levels of government to address the climate crisis with the urgency demanded by science, while creating good jobs and ensuring everyone has clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment.

Register Now

For more information, see the event Facebook Page.

Rally: Citizenship for Essential Workers and Families

Date: 
Sunday, April 18, 2021 - 3:00pm
Location: 
Brown County Court House, 100 S Jefferson St, Green Bay

Join Voces de la Frontera Essential Workers Rights Network in Green Bay for a press conference and rally to demand citizenship for all in the forthcoming COVID-19 reconciliation budget bill! Now is the time to make noise and demand that our congressional representatibes vote to legalize essential workers - because they are essential, not deportable.

This event is part of a statewide caravan and relay across America demanding to a stop to deportations, COVID recovery for all, and citizenship for all.

Sponsored by Casa Esther, ESTHER and Voces de la Frontera Action.

Download and share the attached flier.

Call for Letters to Wisconsin Legislators

Posted in

Let Your Voice Be HeardCapitol Dome

Write Your Wisconsin Legislators
About the State Budget

As part of the run-up to Madison Action Day on April 15, the WISDOM network is calling for a flood of letters about the 2021-2023 Wisconsin State Budget, to be delivered in advance to legislators’ offices.

If you can’t participate in Madison Action Day this year, writing letters to your state Senator and Assembly Representative is a good way to support the same goals.

If you will be participating, please consider writing letters as well – to let your voice be heard.

Letters are due to ESTHER by April 3, to allow enough time for handling and delivery. If you think your letters will not arrive to the ESTHER office by April 3, you can send your letters to the WISDOM office by April 9: WISDOM, 2821 N. Vel Phillips Ave., #217, Milwaukee, WI  53212. See sample letter for additional instructions.

For more information about the campaign and a sample letter, see the attached flier, or visit the ESTHER website.

Why Social Justice Work?

Posted in

ESTHER BlogThe question was asked of me, “Why do I involve myself doing justice work?” I think the beginning of my addressing systemic causes of injustices began when I found ESTHER – or was it ESTHER finding me? Even before ESTHER, values that formed me within led to my belief that my dignity can never be fully realized until the dignity of all including creation is respected and honored as well. Where did that come from? I wonder if it was not so much anything that I was taught but rather something that I caught.

Madison Action Day 2021 - Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Posted in
Date: 
Thursday, April 15, 2021 - 10:00am - 3:00pm
Location: 
Zoom Meeting

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD - April 15, 2021

More than 60 people from ESTHER will be participating in this year’s Madison Action Day. If you missed the registration deadline, you can still view the morning plenary session streaming live on WISDOM's Facebook page: facebook.com/wisdomwisconsin

The plenary session, to be held from 10 am to 12 noon, will be moderated by Joy Cardin (formerly of Wisconsin Public Radio).  It will include information, inspiration and interaction – a chance to think and talk with other ESTHER and WISDOM members about values and goals.

A book has been compiled covering the themes for the day, has been prepared. You can download your copy here or through the ‘Attachments’ link below.

In the afternoon, participants will meet with their state Senators and Assembly Representatives, or their representatives. 

Registrations closed at the end of the day Tuesday, April 13.

Guns, Democracy, and the Insurrectionist Idea: Unpacking the Chaos at the Capitol

Posted in
Date: 
Tuesday, February 23, 2021 - 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: 
Zoom

WAVE - Wisconsin Anti Violence EffortThe WAVE (Wisconsin Anti Violence Effort) Action Team is hosting Joshua Horwitz, J.D., Executive Director of the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, in a Zoom presentation connecting gun violence to the January attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Guns, Democracy, and the Insurrectionist Idea book coverIn the wake of that attack and the ongoing threat from insurrectionists, Josh will explain the connections between the gun lobby and the insurrectionist idea—a topic he has been exploring since co-authoring the 2009 book Guns, Democracy and the Insurrectionist Idea.

Over the past few days, the impeachment trial has brought those harrowing scenes from the Capitol before us again, leaving us wondering, “How did this happen? How can we make sure it never happens again?” Join us for this important discussion.

What: Guns, Democracy, and the Insurrectionist Idea: Unpacking the Chaos at the Capitol
When: Tuesday, February 23, 2021, at 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm CST
Where: Zoom (Sign up, and we'll send you the login information the day of the presentation.)

What’s In the Governor’s Budget? - WISDOM Network School of Democracy

Posted in

WISDOM School of Democracy: Because Information is PowerThe next session in the WISDOM School of Democracy is entitled “What's In the Governors’ Budget? A Review of WISDOM’s Priorities.”  The presentation will cover all the areas in the Governor’s budget that correspond with issues of concern to the WISDOM network. (Review WISDOM’s budget positions here.)

Saturday, February 20
9:00 am 

Click here to register:  Feb 20 State Budget Webinar 9 am
You will get an email with a link to join the Webinar on Saturday.

The webinar will identify and discuss …

  • things proposed by the Governor that match WISDOM’s priorities and need to be supported.
  • things that are missing and need to be added by the legislature.
  • things that shouldn’t be included and need to be taken out by the legislature.

This webinar is a part of the WISDOM network’s multi-part School of Democracy, to prepare network leaders to work for the inclusion of progressive values in Wisconsin’s 2021-2023 Biennial Budget. (ESTHER is a member of the WISDOM network.)

Memorial for COVID Victims in Wisconsin Prisons

Date: 
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 - 5:30pm
Location: 
State Prisons Around Wisconsin

For incarcerated lives lost to COVID Candlelight VigilPresident-elect Biden has asked the nation to mark a national COVID victims memorial on the eve of the Inauguration. See here for more about the memorial. WISDOM and EXPO leaders will lead Memorial Services in front of seven of the 14 Wisconsin prisons in which men and women have died of the virus. Prisons at which vigils will be held are listed below.

Details for all locations are the same:

Tuesday, January 19
5:30 pm
Masks are required and social distancing will be honored
.

Please bring your own candle.

Please try to arrive by 5:15.

The memorial services will be brief and prayerful.

WISDOM State Budget Webinar

Posted in
Date: 
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 - 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: 
Zoom Meeting

WISDOM logo

The state budget is the one significant piece of legislation that absolutely must be passed by the State Legislature and the Governor, no matter how deadlocked they are about everything else. The budget decides how much money is available for schools, public transportation, prisons, alternatives to prison, transitional jobs, health care, etc. for the next two years.

You are invited to join us for a Webinar about the 2021-23 Wisconsin State Budget process, especially about the ways that ordinary people can have an influence on how our tax dollars are invested.

Tuesday, January 12
5:00 to 6:00 pm

To sign up, click on this link: State Budget Webinar
Fill out the form, and you should get a return email from "WISDOM Host" that will include a link to join the Zoom call at 5 pm.

Scores of WISDOM people participated in the Governor's Listening Sessions back in December. This webinar is the next step. There will be more, leading up to our Madison Action Day on April 15.

Last week, we all saw the wrong way for people to try to make their voices heard. This week, we'll be talking about the right way!

A Seat at the Table of Power

This post was submitted by Penny Robinson

ESTHER encourages an African American to apply for appointment to the Grand Chute Police and Fire Commission

Background of racist social-media posts by police officer

Last summer ESTHER Organizer Bill Van Lopik was informed that Grand Chute Police Officer Laluzerne had posted racist comments on social media. Most of the posts were from high school, but a more recent one referred to Boogaloo, a white supremacist movement.

After connecting with a Black Lives Matter group, Bill and others from ESTHER joined a protest, at which Grand Chute Police Chief Greg Peterson agreed to meet with ESTHER President Gary Crevier. News surfaced that the department was conducting a thorough investigation of Laluzerne. Some wondered if an outside, unbiased individual or group should conduct such investigations. The officer was thoroughly questioned and “put on notice,” but was not disciplined or fired.1

Syndicate content