Support immigrants, give to storm recovery efforts, fight against climate change.

My Fellow Resisters,

Here are new updates and recommended actions from PAGE (Progressive Action Global Exchange) followed by inspiring reading/watching/listening suggestions from our own Kathy Sherretts (STOP, LOOK, LISTEN) 
 
Check it out and leave comments!

In solidarity,
Sage


PAGE Update

This week has been tragic. Folks are still reeling after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. Much of South Asia is experiencing deadly flooding and tropical storms. Forest fires are raging across the Pacific Northwest. Hurricane Irma has destroyed much of Barbuda, has caused lots of damage in Puerto Rico, and has just landed on Florida’s shores. And it looks like Hurricane Jose is following Hurricane Irma. The strength of these storms is unprecedented, and it should push us all to fight against global climate change, and to continue our financial support of those affected by these storms.

In other horrific news, in an appalling press conference, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the DACA program will be terminated on March 5, 2018. Let’s not forget that DACA itself was fought for and won by the tireless work of undocumented activists, and let’s demand that Congress create something better for ALL undocumented folk by the deadline. Check up on your elected officials (like Kikito, pictured below, the one year old boy made by French artist JR checking up on border patrol) and make sure they do their jobs and pass a more comprehensive immigration plan.

This week we share some opportunities to keep supporting immigrants, give to storm recovery efforts, and continue our fight against climate change.

Priority Actions

1. Support Hurricane Irma Victims

• Fund relief efforts for Caribbean islands:
• The American University of Antigua is collecting funds for relief efforts in Barbuda, where 90% of buildings have been destroyed by the storm
• Global Giving has created a fund to “provide relief to survivors in the form of emergency supplies like food, water, and medicine in addition to longer-term recovery assistance to help residents recover and rebuild”
• We prefer to give money directly to folks affected, or to grassroots organizations, but it has been difficult to find funds like these. Please reach out to us if you know of any other direct giving platforms to assist the Caribbean.
• Direct support to affected US areas:
• Donate to the New Florida Majority to “support grassroots Florida organizations working to help communities recover and rebuild.”
• Give money to support the US Virgin islands and Puerto Rico, which was already struggling economically and will not be prepared to rebuild after Hurricane Irma.

2. Continue Global Climate Action

• Learn about the links between climate change and storms like Hurricane Irma. While EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt thinks this is not the time to talk about climate change, we disagree. By increasing ocean temperature, we know that climate change makes storms stronger. Read up on climate science so you’re able to explain what we can and cannot attribute to global climate change.
• Push local groups to divest from fossil fuel companies. Just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Not only are these companies polluting, but they are actively lobbying politicians to avoid climate action. To address this power dynamic, 350.org has developed a divestment campaign, which actively challenges the economic power of fossil fuel companies. Write to your home town, your university, or another group with a large endowment and ask them to divest from fossil fuel companies. Use 350’s tool to find an appropriate group or a divestment movement near you.
• Join the Climate Change PAGE subgroup, and lend your time and expertise to a global effort to mitigate climate change and support those most affected. Contact Duncan Gromko (duncangromko@gmail.com) to join the team!

3. Defend DACA

• Continue to push congress! Call selected representatives and ask them to support the DREAM act, use this script to reach them! Use the We Are Here to Stay website to learn more about DACA. 
• Think carefully about the language you use to defend DACA. Our DACAmented friends have reminded us that when we speak about the programs we should:
• Avoid using pure economic benefits to speak about DACA recipients’ benefit to the USA. This dehumanizes DACA recipients and approves of their exploitation (they pay into the tax system, but are not allowed benefits- this is not a good thing!).
• Don't use language that further demonizes the parents of undocumented children and youth. We support the rights of everyone, no matter if they came to the US as children or adults.

4. #NotTooFarAwayToCall

• It’s the last week to get involved with this campaign! Do it as a group at your next meeting, or with friends after getting a coffee! If you haven’t done so yet, it’s time to take you picture! Help get US-Americans Abroad engaged from afar. Action Together Zurich and Americans Resisting Overseas are organizing a social media campaign called #NotTooFarAwayToCall that launched on Sept. 6. This social media campaign will feature photos of US-Americans abroad calling their Members of Congress from locations around the world. Photos will be shared on social media with a one sentence description of the call, e.g. "Calling Senator Chris Murphy from the Great Wall of China to thank him for supporting increasing the number of overseas refugees resettled in the U.S."
• Share photos by September 14th under the hashtag #NotTooFarAwayToCall
• Questions? Get in touch with Alexandra Dufresne at Action Together: Zürich, CH.

Hurricane Harvey didn't come out of the blue. Now IS the time to talk about climate change.

​STOP, LOOK, LISTEN! by Kathy Sherretts

My Washington Post news app flips through story headlines like a rolodex, which these days makes for a disconcerting display.
​
Next up: 'It’ is a baroque symphony of meta-horror and a waking nightmare" Imagine my relief when I realized this was a movie review and not a political commentary.

Article:
Washington Post: Trump administration cuts funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs. by Jessica Lander and Carolyn Smith-Lin
The authors explore the unsettling reason that may have been behind the funding cuts — as well as its serious consequences, with pregnancy being a leading factor in why girls drop out of school.

Podcast:
Slate Magazine/Trumpcast, Facebook's Russia Problem with Issie Lapowsky (34 min)
WIRED's Issie Lapowsky discusses Russian-linked accounts that bought political ads on Facebook during the 2016 election.

Article:
Huffington Post: McCain, Whitehouse Make Bipartisan Appeal To SCOTUS Against Wisconsin Gerrymandering, by Sam Levine
"Americans do not like gerrymandering... their sense of powerlessness and discouragement has increased, deepening the crisis of confidence in our democracy.”