Below is a reproduction of the first WeCAN e-mail news on Feb. 23. Formatting will not be the same, but the content is.
You can see other news postings using the Previous Issues link above.
Loyalty to the country always, loyalty to the government when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain.
Eight years ago Ann Braden, Joanna Wilson Phillips, and Leslie Sullivan Sachs (and probably other un-sung heroes I don’t know about) started the Windham County Action Network, WeCAN for short. After those first four Trump years, the need lessened and the group went dormant.
But we are now back at square one, or worse.
At the end of this e-mail there is some additional information about WeCAN, links to send us events, and a link to unsubscribe if you want.
Re-starting WeCan
This is the first of what we intend to be weekly updates on what is happening around Windham County and occasionally in Montpelier. We have rounded up some things that are happening that you may be interested in learning about or participating in.
February 23 – March 1
National Economic Boycott Day, Friday, Feb. 28
OK, it is not exactly local, but it happens here as well as everywhere else. The idea is that for one 24-hour period we don’t spend a dime. Not on gas. Not on fast food. Not on-line. No Amazon, no Walmart.
Shop local stores if you must, and use cash, not a credit or debit card.
Certainly, this boycott will have minimal economic impact but the symbolic power of a one-day boycott can still serve as a powerful statement of public disapproval, potentially gaining media attention and mobilizing further action.
Rutland is having an in-person boycott. They ask, “Please join us in Rutland on February 28th – the day of the Economic Blackout (“Buy Nothing Day). This is a peaceful protest, so please come with your signs, your friends and family, and your belief in non-violence. See you there!”
Foreign Aid Cuts Discussion
Windham World Affairs Council
Wednesday, February 26, 6:30 pm
118 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, VT
WWAC writes, “Have you been impacted by the foreign aid pause and attempted closure of USAID? Please join us to share your story. We will discuss how the Trump Administration’s actions on foreign aid have impacted residents in our community.”
Click here for more information
BUHS PeaceJam invites you to Peace through Creativity
Windham World Affairs Council
March 1, 2025
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
118 Elliot St Brattleboro VT 05301
The “Peace Through Creativity” event will be held at 118 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 on Saturday, March 1, from 3 to 6pm. Paint, papers, brushes and other art-making materials will be provided. People interested in group musical improvisation should bring their own instruments. Improvised music-making and movement from BUHS students and community members will provide the soundtrack for visual art-making.
Click here for more information
Other Local Efforts
Indivisible Brattleboro
For those looking to get hyper-local, there’s a new Indivisible group in Brattleboro:
https://indivisible.org/groups?terms=Brattleboro+Indivisible+VT
Their site says, “Indivisible Brattleboro launched in Jan 2025! We started as a small but mighty group and are slowly building out the infrastructure and culture. Our focus is on creating actionable impact during two-hour in-person monthly meetings. We share the responsibility of leadership, research and execution among all members. Welcome to anyone with a progressive mindset and a willingness to collaborate!”
You can connect with them here: indibrattleboro@gmail.com
Non-Local Efforts you may want to know about
50501 Movement Vermont
This is the VERMONT chapter of the 50501 Movement:
50501 Movement: 50 Protests / 50 States / 1 Movement. Join in the fight to uphold the Constitution and end executive overreach. 50501 is a peaceful movement. Violence of any kind will not be tolerated. To join, use this link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/50501movementvermont
NAACP boycott for DEI rollbacks
A number of prominent companies have scaled back or set aside the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that much of corporate America endorsed following the protests that accompanied the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in 2020.
Future items of interest
N.H. Democratic caucuses in March
I only found two nearby, But there may be others.
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