Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & Environment
Minutes: Monthly Meeting Feb 17 , 2020 via Zoom
Attending: Kathy Button, Holly Carroll Cachimuel, Diane Crowley, Chuck Dickinson, Nicole Gardner, Liz Goss, Linda Grant, Munch Grogan, Tod Gross, Jacqui Gross, Youla Hana, Joan Hogan, Sue Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin, Ernesta Kraczkiewicz, Tony Palomba, Deborah Peterson, Pam Phillips, Arun Sannuti, Mary Skinner, Jeanne Trubek, Jennifer Wolfrum.
Also attending: Linda Grant, a long-time Watertown resident taking a journalism class at Harvard Extension and a member of the Editorial Team at Harvard Law School, who will be writing a news story of the meeting as an exercise, and is happy to share it.
Land Acknowledgement Sue Ellen gave a land acknowledgement to the indigenous people who lived here before us. She thanked our newest working group, the Pigusset Initiative for their help in crafting it.
Working Group Reports Friends of Bees is working on publishing pollinator garden recommendations along with its other pollinator activities. Watertown Citizens for Black Lives is working on Police Transparency and Reform. Working with other groups in town, they were happy to see the schools create a Diversity Coordinator. The Pigsgusset Initiative has partnered with the Watertown Free Public Library and New Repertory Theatre on a public conversation about local indigenous history on March 18. They hope to create signage for public spaces to highlight our indigenous past. Watertown Faces Climate Change has been reaching out to local developers to urge them to withdraw from NAIOP, the real estate lobbying group that was credited with Governor Baker’s watering down of the climate bill. They are also exploring the MBTA’s plan to replace the #71 and #73 fully electric trolley buses with electric buses that will still rely on some diesel.
A Presentation by the Refugee Support Group
The group presented a report on five aspects of immigration work.
I. Tangible Support: Jacqui Gross gave examples of support that members have provided to about 40 families from countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Haiti, Guatemala, Mexico and Chile. They often get contacted by other agencies and provide things such as help with medical appointments, school issues of children, securing housing, furnishings, financial support, food, clothing, and whatever else may be needed. She described it as gratifying to get to know the families, learn about their cultures, and celebrate notable occasions. Pre-covid the group also organized events such as educational forums, film-showings, potlucks, picnics, and a community Iftar.
- Crisis of migrants in Bosnia: Joan Horgan reported on the situation in Bosnia. In December over a thousand migrants’ tents were burned, and families with children were forced to live in the woods in subzero temperatures with meager food parcels. Most of these migrants are trying to get to Croatia and the EU, but have been blocked and pushed back by Croatia. Some have given up hope and return to dangers back home. The EU paid Bosnia $1.8 million to keep the migrants. News of these events rarely reaches us. She recommended advocacy directed to the embassy and Congress, and reaching out to the 5,000-6000 Bosnians in the Boston Area.
III. Syria: Youla Hana described conditions in Syria. Almost half the population are now refugees. Inside, the economy is destroyed, there is no power, no heat, not enough food and severely devalued currency. Outside, people live in camps enduring cold, rain, snow, and attacks from outsiders. There is hope that under Biden, more refugees can be brought to the US. Youla spoke about Syrian artist Samera Birawi, whose art was featured on the notice of tonight’s meeting. Youla is helping to sell her paintings. Images of her paintings will be posted to the Refugee Support Group’s facebook page. [Contact Youla for more information – youlahana@yahoo.com]
- Biden Administration: Immigration attorney Liz Goss talked about hopeful expectations from the Biden administration. Ending the discriminatory travel bans, re-purposing border wall funding to immigrant support, reinstating DACA, narrowing of emphasis on deportation, banning private prisons, an inclusive census count, and increasing the cap on refugees from 25,000 to 125,000. She cautioned that it will take time to staff up , create new policies and pass legislation. COVID relief and infrastructure will likely come before Comprehensive Immigration reform, the latter which Republicans will block what they can. At least this administration sees the value and contributions of immigrants.
- Local Legislation: Sue Ellen talked about local initiatives they hope to see passed. After several years of lobbying, the Mass Safe Communities Act finally advanced out of committee, but never got acted on in the last legislative session. Now is the time to email state reps and senators to support it as well as the Work and Family Mobility Act. This Act would allow immigrants to have protections and secure drivers licenses regardless of their immigration status. The MIRA Coalition continues to be a valuable resource for activists and immigrants.
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Other Opportunities
– Invitation to join the antibias coalition working to diversify the school’s curriculum.
– Check out Watertown Forward, which helps residents get involved in the Charter Review process through charter chats, notices of upcoming meetings and review of meetings.
– Support Act on Mass in efforts to improve transparency at the State House regarding roll call votes, public access to committee votes, and requring 72 hours for legislators to review legislation before voting.
NEXT MONTHLY MEETING MARCH 17, 7:00 pm, a presentation from Watertown Forward about the Charter Review process, charter issues and how to be involved.
Respectfully submitted, Deborah Peterson