Dear Reader,
I thought about titling this newsletter ‘Spooky edition’ but it’s not yet time for soup, cloves and sweaters! We got one last weekend of sun, so if you are anything like me, why not embrace the little rush of serotonin mania by RSVPing for a ton of events? Consider a panel on Guaranteed Basic Income on Tuesday, our annual Intertwined fundraiser and community celebration, the monthly climate grief & empowerment gathering, or singing with the People’s Echo. Read on for the rest of the details –
INTERTWINED
On Saturday, November 18th we’re gonna celebrate our 10th birthday! So let’s do it right with music and fun and a feast together. Let’s cheer our resilient community’s hard work and accomplishments, and the incredible grassroots momentum we’ve built this year and over the past 10 years. We hope to see you there!
Intertwined: 350 Seattle’s Annual Fundraiser Event
Saturday, November 18, 2023: Doors open at 6PM, program begins at 7PM
Metropolist, 2931 First Ave. S, Seattle 98134, + livestream
With food, music and more!
SOLIDARITY BUDGET – GUARANTEED BASIC INCOME PANEL & DISCUSSION
The gulf between the rich and the poor is rapidly expanding in our city – and we want to change that. The Basic Income Guarantee disperses cash to our cities poorest residents with no conditions – a fully funded GBI would cost less than half of what our city spends on cops, prisons and the courts. Come to our panel tuesday night to learn more:
2024 Solidarity Budget: Guaranteed Basic Income Basic Panel & Discussion
Tuesday, October 10th, 6-8pm
Rainier Arts Center, 3515 South Alaska St
Register here
Also! Consider attending the City of Seattle’s Public Budget hearing on the 18th. Us and our friends in Solidarity Budget plan to pack the hearing in support of the 9 community budget guarantees. Show up with a sign, comment in support, or watch all city council meetings on the Seattle Channel or on youtube.
City of Seattle Public Budget Hearing
Wednesday, October 18th, 5:00PM
City Hall or online
APEC ROUND 2: CALIFORNIA EDITION
Remember in July when diplomats from around the world descended on Seattle to craft exploitative and unfair trade deals? That event was a preliminary meeting for an even bigger and more stupid stupid meeting in San Francisco in November: The APEC Leader’s Week and CEO Summit, aka the Super Bowl of World Economies (puke).
So obviously, our friends in San Francisco are organizing counter-demonstrations, marches, webinars, a counter summit and more. Check out this landing page for more info, we will have more information about ways for Seattle folks to be involved in this soon.
AVIATION TEAM
Save the date! The Aviation Team is excited to host “Mode Shift to Passenger and Freight Rail as a Climate Solution“, a presentation by the Climate Rail Alliance and other organizations at their next meeting. Learn about:
* Energy efficiency of passenger and freight rail compared to cars, trucks, planes.
* Potential for electrification via catenary (high voltage lines), avoiding over-reliance on batteries.
* Differences among “high speed rail” options.
* Competing ideas for transportation solutions in WA as we enter the climate crisis, and the barriers rail advocates are facing.
All are welcome to attend; you don’t have to be an Aviation Team member. You can get the link by registering here.
Contact Laura for more information or to get involved with other Aviation Team activities.
Mode Shift to Passenger and Freight Rail as a Climate Solution
October 10th, 7-8PM
RSVP here
Also! Keep this event on your radar:
Port of Seattle Candidates Forum:
Wednesday, October 25th, 6-8PM
Get tickets here
CONSIDER UNGAPPING THE MAP
To the grim fascination of Seattlites, the Seattle Department of Transportation is now finalizing plans to connect the bike paths along the Seattle waterfront (‘the gap’). But sadly, the current plan is for a path only 10 feet wide, woefully inadequate for two lane traffic, comprised of cargo bikes, pedicabs, and idling teenagers. If you want to feel extra indignant, consider how much of the waterfront space is currently allocated to cars.
Please send a message urging SDOT to build this new bike path at least 12 feet wide or more.
FEDERAL TEAM
The Federal Policy Team is fighting hard against the expansion of the GTN XPress Pipeline. Partly due to our hard work, Senator Maria Cantwell has written a letter to FERC opposing the project. Wahoo! Thanks to all who called or wrote to her office.
At our next meeting our focus will be on ways to re-organize and invigorate the team as we push the President to declare a climate emergency, and lobby in favor of key federal legislation, including the Fossil Free Finance Act. If you’re not already on the Federal Policy email list and want to join this meeting, you can get on the listserv here. You will then receive the Zoom link for the meeting.
Federal Policy Team Meeting
Wednesday, October 11th, 5PM
Online, join the listserv for invite here
350 WA CIVIC ACTION TEAM
We are welcoming NEW volunteers into the 350 WA Civic Action Team campaign! Come join our crew for an evening on Zoom where you can learn about our legislative work and get connected to our fabulous Volunteer Teams ahead of the 2024 Washington Legislative session that begins in January.
Bill tracking! Legislative action writing and editing! Communications and graphics work! We have lots of roles for new folks, no experience needed.
We’ll spend October-December training and preparing to mobilize tens of thousands of legislative advocacy actions on climate and justice bills during the January-March session.
350 WA CAT: New Volunteer Welcome Launch
Tuesday, October 17 @ 6-7:30pm
RSVP
CLIMATE GRIEF AND EMPOWERMENT
How are you feeling about climate change these days? Are you even letting yourself feel? Or is it too big to process? Being overwhelmed by climate-related emotions is a shared reality. We can continue to act from a grounded state when we process these experiences together. You are invited to feel, digest, and move through grief together at the next Climate Grief and Empowerment gatherings.
Climate Grief and Empowerment Monthly Gathering
Saturday, October 14th, and Saturday, November 11th, from 10:00–11:45am
Online, register here separately for each one you’ll attend.
CLIMATE ACTION FAMILIES
Climate Action Families is reviving their monthly gathering. Meeting on 10/20 from 5:30-7:30 at Jackson Place Cohousing. Spread it around to any climate justice folks you know with kids and anyone who might be interested in helping with our programs.
Climate Action Families Monthly Meeting
Friday, October 20th, 5:30-7:30PM
Jackson Place Cohousing
More info
ARTFUL ACTIVISM TEAM
Join Art Builds and put art into Action!
*Sign up here for the Art in Action team to help deploy art at actions or public events.
*Sign up here to join an art build, and help build the art for beautiful community actions and events.
Join the Artful Team and Alerts list. Skills welcome, but not required. We look forward to welcoming you into a supportive and collaborative community.
We are growing both our art build team and our art in action team, where teams of volunteer leads help others participate. Maybe you’re experienced in performance or visual arts? Maybe you are super organized and want to clean up our photo library?
Whatever your skill set, the Artful Team has a place for you! Contact Lisa to get involved.
Photos & Videos wanted for our digital library
Did you take photos at a recent 350 Seattle event, art build, or action? Submit your best images to our Photo Library to share them with our community and for use in our organization’s storytelling. Here are our guidelines and the email address for submitting photos to our library editors.
For videos, check out the 350 Seattle YouTube page for event content, DIY Art how-to videos, recordings of past general meetings, webinars, and awesome trainings.
THE PEOPLE’S ECHO
The People’s Echo is a healing centered song collective based on Coast Salish lands.
Uprooting Whiteness
An embodied & song-infused anti-racist space for white and white-passing folks.
Monday, Oct 16, 6-8pm, ONLINE
Recurring monthly every 2nd Monday (this month it’s the 3rd Monday), alternating online and in-person.
Ticket link & event details (sign up to receive link for Monday, Oct 16)
Monthly Songcatching with The People’s Echo
Co-create sound & song for healing & liberation
Monday, October 23, 6-8pm in Central District
4th Mondays, location variable (RSVP information can be found in event page below)
Facebook Event
Fall Song Circle
Community singing in honor of the season
Friday, November 10, 6-8:30pm
Seward Park, Shelter #3
Facebook EventSEATTLE SONG CIRCLES GOOGLE CALENDAR. This calendar houses all the community song circle events happening in the Seattle area.
**To learn more and stay updated about our upcoming monthly songcatching groups, please fill out our songcatching interest form.**
Stay connected to The People’s Echo for updates on community singing opportunities!
Linktree | Song Book | Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram
For questions, email thepeoplesecho@gmail.com
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
Our community resource list encompasses some of the vast number of resources available in the Seattle area for 350 Seattle and the general community. Check out the resource list and share with others who may be interested.
Do you have a skill or service you would like to offer at very reduced or no charge to the 350 Seattle activist community as a way to take part in and support the work we do or do you know of BIPOC businesses in our community who might want to be added to the list linked here? All skills welcome.
Please fill out this form with your own offerings, or with other local Black, Indigenous, or People of the Global Majority (BIPGM) businesses we could be patronizing, or other entries we should add to the general resource list and we’ll get back with you! Thanks!
SHOUTOUTS
“I’m excited to shout out our whole core 350 WA CAT Volunteer crew, and especially all the returning folks who have been part of our campaign planning meetings in September as we get ready for the 2024 Washington State Legislative session! Y’all ROCK, Suellen, David, Josh, Ryan, Margie, Rosemary, Cyn, Peter, Ross, Elle, Jess, Robin, and Sarah. Plus our many other CATs who make state legislative advocacy possible for hundreds of people across Washington with the 350 WA CAT campaign: Katherine, Tara, Shana, Camille, Natalie, Larry, Jason, Louisa, Greg, Sue, and so so many more!” – Grace
“To Barb Drake and everyone who worked so hard to support Orange Shirt Day!” – Ben
“Appreciation for Brandon Bowersox-Johnson for all his work with the King County International Airport Community Coalition and organizing for environmental justice.” – Anon
“Ryan Driscoll: Ryan is a newer member to the Anti-Racist White Caucus’ planning team, and we are excited to have him on board. We are so appreciative of Ryan’s insight as well as his incredible skills for planning and facilitating sessions. He’s also just great to work with! Thank you Ryan for leading some great discussions these past few months and it’s awesome to have you on the planning team.” – Meg
AND FINALLY,
Monday is Indigenous People’s Day, which amongst many things, is a good reminder that Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned for 48 years despite an international campaign for his clemency, including recent actions by dozens of members of the US Congress calling for his release and activists chaining themselves to the gates of the White House within the last month alone.
Consider attending a gathering honoring Indigenous People’s Day near you, but as a minimum, find creative ways to 100% NOT honor Christopher Columbus and the genocidal enslavement he represents.
Until next month,
<3 Ben
