Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & Environment Minutes: Monthly Meeting Jan 18 , 2023 via zoom
Attending: Diana Barlow, Jacqui Gross, Tod Gross, Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin, Tyler Kemp- Benedict, Tony Palomba, Deborah Peterson, Pam Phillips, Mary Skinner, Jennifer Wolfrum.
WORKING GROUP REPORTS The Pigsgusset Initiative is meeting next week after a holiday break. Several members met in December with Superintendent Galdston, Dr. Henry and others from School Department who briefed them on their efforts around Indigenous issues. They also agreed to cohost an evening presentation of Listen to Sipu for all K-12 students, their families, and community members. The presentation will be paid for by funds from the Watertown Cultural Council which was originally slated to support a production at the Middle School that did not take place. Other activities include initial planning for Indigenous People’s Day , and implementing another WCC grant for the fall to focus on indigenous cuisine with Chef Sherry Pocknett.
Friends of Bees recently cohosted, with Watertown Community Gardens, a winter native plant sowing event through Blue Stem. It was so popular it had a waiting list. They are looking for other opportunities for those who missed the workshop. Other events are a March presentation by Melinda Dennis demonstrating how she turned her adjacent sidewalk bump-out from a barren strip to full garden, a volunteer day to help start other sidewalk patches, a Plant Swap, Work Days for Volunteers on Pollinator Gardens, a pollinator walk in the Fall, and consideration of next steps toward Bee City. Pam is also thinking about bringing Yard Art to some of the public gardens.
Watertown Citizens for Black Lives has taken a break from formal monthly meetings to give their operations and leadership circle time to plan and get together. Ongoing activities continue: Juneteenth, monthly vigils, discussion group , and Tyler’s summary of discussions, events, trainings, and other items of interest. Their facebook page continues to serve as a place to report when they experience racism – many in the schools – that are followed up to varying degrees. A group that meets regularly with school staff is still meeting despite frustrations. The establishment of a City Human Rights Committee is moving forward and should help in following up unresolved conflicts.
Peace and Common Security is a small group that meets once a month. They are working on their next program, working to balance the issues of those attending – Israel/Palestine, Nuclear Weapons Abolition, and the War in Ukraine. They continue to hold vigils on Sundays around Ukraine. They are currently reading and discussing Medea Benjamin’s book How to Make Sense of a Senseless War.
Watertown Faces Climate is showing up at meetings – City Council, Schools, and Planning – to follow up on the Climate Action Plan and its implementation. The City Council recently approved a new stretch code that will require new developments to meet stricter emissions criteria. Members were horrified to learn that the proposed Watertown Mall Transformation could produce 4000 additional car trips per day in conflict with the Climate Goal to reduce car travel by 50%. As a part of 350 Mass, they participate with other members in setting priorities and bills for the next state legislative session. They evaluate them in the context of equity, employment and fair housing goals as well.
The Refugee Support Group gift cards and money to refugee families couldn’t go as far as last year because they raised only about a third as much from the Yo Yo Ma fundraiser this year as last; but they did write many cards and messages with notes to people and families they are helping. Many are still struggling with job losses, restaurants where they work going under and other stresses in their lives. One good piece of news is that the Biden Administration has eliminated the public charge designation for anyone receiving any kind of benefits such as mass health, which had made them ineligible for citizenship. Good news also includes: a Ugandan Mom is graduating soon as a Certified Nursing Assistant; the group moved a Watertown family that had been living in a very cramped single room move into subsidized housing; and a long time member and asylum seeker, Amira, and her husband Bassel finally received permanent residency after 9 years and persistent efforts. Her son Danny, who is now a high school junior, plans to make a documentary about his experience with epilepsy. Sue Ellen has been trying to find resources for him, which has proven difficult; but there is hope through a serendipitous connection she made with an MIT Ph.D student doing epilepsy research. Tod Gross and Tyler Kemp-Benedict will forward contacts they thought might help.
The RSG will be using their next meeting to brainstorm for next year. Several new, enthusiastic members have recently joined. p. 1 of 2
CONVERSATION about what we imagine, hope for, and want to focus on for the organization in the next year:
Recognize the Amazing Work
Working Groups each have their own core of active members. They and the larger organization have been doing amazing work, including:
- Race Reels
- Upcoming Bee City and Pollinator Group
- Solstice Event
- Presentation of Listen to Sipu
Working Groups and Steering Committee Collaborative Review An upcoming meeting with reps from working groups and the SC will talk about what is working well and what needs improvement. This will help guide the Steering Committee in strategic planning for WCPJE.
Monthly Meetings Attendance at monthly meetings has fallen off. Zoom fatigue or busyness, or maybe monthly meetings are too much for people given all the other work that is going on. But some not involved in working groups can be drawn to monthly mtgs if an issue interests them. While monthly meetings are called for in the by-laws, the strategic review process could identify these and any other changes that might improve our structure and processes. Any necessary by-law changes could be addressed by members at the Annual meeting in late Spring.
Bummer News
1) Sue Ellen shared her dismay at the unveiling of the MLK Embrace Sculpture where the public was excluded from the ticketed event and unable to view the sculpture or hear the speeches.
2) Pam added her growing awareness of the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where Russians serve as peacekeepers for ethnically Armenian territory that is under threat.
Suggestions for Follow-Up
1) Look into how we bring more people into WCPJE, especially younger people.
2) Identify issues that cut across several working groups, which would provide more opportunities for working groups to collaborate.
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- Affordable housing is both a refugee and equity issue. The crisis is much bigger than the Refugee Support Group can take on alone. It was mentioned that there is a well-established interfaith group working on housing with some people in Watertown that is looking at possible state legislation. Louise Enoch and Alan Epstein have been working with the group. Mary Skinner will try to reach Louise to follow up. We might ask this group to speak at a Monthly Meeting.
- A cross-working groups effort or action to follow up on several incidents over the last few years that have left many in WCBL uncomfortable with some library staff. At least three incidents that have affected people of color at the library have not been adequately addressed. One such incident caused the Race Reels project organizers to move to the Boys and Girls Club, which is not a great space for this. An effort could aim for a community conversation with Library staff to talk about racism and hopefully bring some closure, and perhaps even a return or Race Reels film events to the library.
- ARPA funding could address intersecting issues such as climate, equity, environment, and housing. The City has $10.5 Million to spend and is soliciting ideas. Watertown Forward has already held a preliminary formational meeting about what initiatives qualify. The City is holding an informational session soon.
Respectfully submitted, Deborah Peterson