ESTHER

Building community, sharing hope, and standing for justice since 2004

Action for Healing and Justice for MMIWG2S

Posted in

Date:

Wednesday, May 5, 2021 (All day)

ESTHER and Waking Women Healing Institute are teaming up to help create awareness for MMIW and ask that you join us in this cause. We are petitioning agencies, towns, villages, cities, counties and tribal nations to make public proclamations declaring May 5th as Day of Awareness for Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit. In addition to the proclamation, we ask that, within your area, you light up structures/bridges/buildings red as a sign of respect, healing, and awareness of the many issues of MMIW.

Please sign this petition on change.org. The petition will be used to show widespread support for MMIW, and hopefully induce urgency to create meaningful changes to bring both justice and healing.

Watch for information about a Facebook Live event in Oshkosh on May 5, sponsored by ESTHER’s Mental Health Task Force and Oshkosh ESTHER.

John Lewis Voter Advancement Day Votercade

Posted in

Advocacy

Date:

Saturday, May 8, 2021 - 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Location:

Appleton East High School Parking Lot, 2121 E Emmers Dr, Appleton

On May 8th, let’s make some Good Trouble

Hands Off Our Vote!

Defeat Voter Suppression

Save the Date John Lewis Voter Mobilization The League of Women Voters of Appleton invites you to join them in their John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day “Votercade” on Saturday, May 8 at 1pm! This event is one of over 100 events across the nation to pass the For the People Act (H.R. 1), the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4), D.C. Statehood and address the filibuster to do so.

The Appleton Votercade will be following Covid-19 pandemic precautions (outdoors, no close contact, masks) and assemble at Appleton East High School on Saturday, May 8 at 1pm.

Participants should have their cars decorated with signs, placards, streamers, etc. Some signage will be available during assembly. The Votercade will begin at 2 pm and follow a designed route through Appleton, following all traffic rules and speed limits and return to the high school. The event will end around 3:00 pm.

The parade will be strictly nonpartisan in keeping with the League’s nonpartisan status and core mission of “empowering voters and defending democracy.”

“What Happens When Your Government Stops Listening?” - Film and Webinar

Posted in

Advocacy

Date:

Thursday, April 29, 2021 - 6:30pm

Location:

Zoom Webinar

Can You Hear Us Now? film poster The League of Women Voters of Appleton is proud to host a special screening of Can You Hear Us Now?, a new film that shows the personal impact of gerrymandering in the state of Wisconsin.

Viewers can watch the film anytime from April 25 - 29, then join a live community discussion about what’s happening to improve the nonpartisan redistricting process and obtain fair maps in Wisconsin.

Register for both the film screening and Zoom Webinar Here.

The Zoom Webinar link will be sent on April 29

ESTHER February 6 Banquet Cancelled

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WHAT?! IT’S NOT HAPPENING?

Our concern for the health and safety of our community along with the year-end sale of Liberty Hall (our venue) brought an end to plans for ESTHER’s Annual Banquet planned for February 6!

ESTHER’s Work Continues

Please support our continuing efforts to build community, share hope and stand for justice by making a financial contribution. Contributions in any amount are appreciated. Donations of $50 or more by Febuary 28 will receive a copy of The Gift of Our Wounds, by Pardeep Kaleka (our intended keynote speaker) and co-author Arno Michaelis, along with a printed copy of ESTHER’s 2022 Yearbook.

Contribute Now

We are planning a fall gathering, to be held outdoors on September 15, featuring Pardeep Kaleka. Stay tuned for details.

Thank you for your patience during these changing times and for your steadfast support of ESTHER.

Fight Efforts to Roll Back Racial Equity Gains

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Racial Equity

Date:

Monday, July 19, 2021 - 6:30pm

Location:

Zoom Meeting

WISDOM, MICAH, the Wisconsin Council of Churches and Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice are collaborating to host an event titled “Taking a Faithful Stance for Equity.” The virtual event will take place on July 19th at 6:30 pm on Zoom.

Many people are alarmed and dismayed by efforts to prohibit the teaching of “Critical Race Theory” in schools. In fact, those efforts are an attempt to prohibit teaching the truth to our children. Racism and white supremacy can only flourish if people of goodwill stay silent. This event is about how we can fight back – not just to stop these efforts to silence the truth, but also to start building a plan to promote equity and anti-racism proactively in every community in our state.

Water Celebration at Stephenson Island

Posted in

Date:

Friday, July 16, 2021 - 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Location:

Stephenson Island, Marinette, WI

Water Celebration and Bridge Walk

Friday, July 16

Stop the Back 40 Mine

12:00 pm: Event Opening - Bring Your Lawn Chairs
1:30 pm: Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Al Gedicks
1:50 pm: Western Mining Action Network (WMAN) Speech
2:10 pm: Menominee Nation Speech
2:30 pm: BLESSING OF THE WATERS CEREMONY
3:30 pm: “River’s Edge Trio” Performance & Raffle Drawing - Custom-Built Guitars appraised at $4,500.00
4:00 pm: Bridge Walk w/ Signs to the demonstration site
6:00 pm: Return to Stephenson Island to adjourn, with our thanks!!

Car-pooling from the Fox Valley is being arranged. Leave a message at https://esther-foxvalley.org/ejtf if you are interested.

Sponsored By: Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, Inc.

Website: https://jointherivercoalition.org

Community and ESTHER Connections

Submitted by wvanlopik on Sat, 03/06/2021 - 5:49pm

Posted in

Contributed by Kathy Weinhold

When I initially joined Esther it was at the recommendation of someone who attended my church. My initial interest was in the prison justice reform group, and I eventually became aware of the Oshkosh ESTHER group. As I live in Oshkosh, I decided to check it out, and I’m so glad I did!

At the first Oshkosh ESTHER group meeting I attended I was warmly welcomed. Compared to the large prison reform group, this smaller-sized group appealed to me. Each person in the group was able to share their ideas, comments and concerns all along the way in the process of working through issues. At subsequent meetings I found it’s always that way. The folks recognize that everyone brings something different to the table. We all know it’s often who you know, and among them they have great connections. Everyone’s input is greatly encouraged.

Global Developments in the Rights of Nature: Tribal Nations

Posted in

Date:

Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Location:

Zoom Meeting

Hosted by the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights.

Join in this fantastic free webinar with Frank Bibeau, Attorney for the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and with Honor the Earth, and Guy Reiter, Executive Director of Menīkānaehkem and Menominee Indian Organizer, both of whom have worked with the center for CDER.

Frank and Guy are advancing the rights of nature in tribal law and governance – including Frank’s work with the White Earth Band’s “Rights of Manoomin” law, and Guy with the “Rights of the Menominee River” resolution. Both may be found in CDER’s law library.

The webinar will be held on Zoom. All are welcome. No charge. Register here.

In Search of Writers and Editors ...

We are looking for writers for ESTHER’s new blog.

If you would like to participate in building our on-line presence, please let Bill Van Lopik know.

If you like to write, you can be a blogger. We will help you to learn about how to write a good blog post.
If you are not sure about your writing skill, we can provide editing help.