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Tatreez and Tea: Palestine Embroidery Workshop

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Frontpage, Movement Building, Shop Fair Trade

This workshop will focus on the preservation of the indigenous, endangered art of Palestinian embroidery. The workshop is centered on Wafa Ghnaim’s book, Tatreez & Tea: Embroidery and Storytelling in the Palestinian Diaspora, which preserves the craft of embroidery as well as the art of storytelling that is encapsulated in each traditional Palestinian motif. This workshop is open to all genders and ages but reserved for the first 15 people who register and pay. No refunds are possible. Wafa will give a public presentation in the same location following the embroidery workshop from 7pm to 8pm that is free and open to the public.  Register for the workshop here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tatreez-and-tea-palestine-embroidery-workshop-tickets-49793559878 

For generations, Palestinian women have gathered together with their daughters to work collectively on embroidery projects, bonding with one another over a cup of tea. Over time, and after the exodus of Palestinians from Palestine in 1948, embroidery has become an endangered art that has been subjected to decades of cultural appropriation. But embroidery represents more than just a village craft of old Palestine — it became the primary form of communication for Palestinian women who used needlework as a way to express their opinions, share their stories, and document their protest of occupation, war and violence.

To learn more about the project, please visit www.tatreezandtea.com.

Art Journaling at WESPAC

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Frontpage, Movement Building, Racial Justice

Susan Sheppard’s class at WESPAC has begun!
Quote from Roger: “I want to say: Today’s class was truly amazing, fun, healing, relaxing and a lot of other positive things!
I absolutely loved this and really suggest this to anyone that can make it. Susan was incredible! Thank you so much for guiding us today.”
It is not too late to sign up!  
Art Journaling Class at WESPAC every Wednesday with Susan Sheppard alternating start time 6pm or noon.  Next Wednesday, July 25th, the class starts at noon.  Please contact Susan with all questions and to register  [email protected]optonline.net .  $20 per class towards WESPAC – no one turned away:

From Susan: An art journal is a “visual diary.”  In addition to (or maybe in place of ) words, the journal keeper uses visual images to portray his/her thoughts and feelings.  During these very stressful times an art journal can serve as a little haven in a world of madness.
 
My vision of this class is having the participants create an art journal over a series of workshops with or without the guidance of prompts combined with a variety of art techniques.   For example, for the first class I would like to prepare the first few pages for future work and creating a self-portrait using collage.  The prompt would be “The Me Nobody Knows.”  The class would occur over several weeks depending on interest.   Each participant would have to provide a “journal”  (water color pad, composition book, or a hard cover book) , magazines and images that appeal to them, and writing tools of their choice.  I would provide other tools and materials. 
 
Some techniques are collage, printing, stenciling, drawing, painting, Zentangle, etc.  The prompts can be whole class , personal to the participants, or pulled from a jar.

Racial Impact of Marijuana Policing in Westchester County

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Frontpage, Movement Building, Racial Justice

Racial Impact of Marijuana Policing in Westchester County

Community Forum on the Racial Impact of Marijuana Policing
in Westchester County
Thursday, July 26th at 7pm
White Plains Library Auditorium
100 Martine Avenue in White Plains, NY 10601

In a state where racially biased policing is the norm, Westchester County stands out as one of the worst offenders.

Between 2013 and 2017, Black and Latino people were vastly overrepresented among those arrested for marijuana possession relative to their presence in Westchester’s population–despite data showing similar rates of use across populations. While only 14 percent of the County’s residents are Black, Black people comprised over half (52 percent) of those arrested for marijuana possession. Latinx people have also been disproportionately impacted, comprising just 17% of residents, but 34% of arrestees.

This massive increase of Westchester residents involved with the criminal justice system has had significant reverberations. A marijuana arrest creates a permanent criminal record that can easily be found by employers, landlords, schools, credit agencies and banks. 

This public discussion will examine the long-term costs and consequences of unequal enforcement of marijuana prohibition in Westchester, solutions to address the harms caused to communities, and efforts to legalize marijuana in New York State while creating a diverse and inclusive industry.

Sponsored by: Drug Policy Alliance, WESPAC Foundation, Westchester Coalition for Police Reform, NYCLU, VOCAL-NY, and more

RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2128989074044735/

Is Westchester Ready for Police Accountability

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Economic and Human Rights, Frontpage, Movement Building, Racial Justice

Is Westchester Ready for Police Accountability?

Saturday, June 30th at 5pm (refreshments starting at 4:30pm)
The Rev. Shelton Doles Community Center Theater
250 South Sixth Avenue
Mount Vernon, NY 10550

Join Bridge to Africa 360, African Family Unity Forum and the Westchester Coalition for Police Reform for a community conversation about the value of civilian oversight of law enforcement as well as an update on the status of the Mount Vernon Civilian Review Board and the Right to Know Act that is gaining momentum around New York State.

Panelists include:

  • Mount Vernon City Council member Delia Farquharson
  • Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Shawn Harris (invited)
  • Panel moderator is Mount Vernon CCRB Steering Cte member Geoff Munroe

This event is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by the Mount Vernon Recreation Department.

Honoring the Summer Solstice through Intercultural Community Ceremony

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Frontpage, Movement Building

At this year’s Summer Solstice, Nathalie “BioDame” Reynoso will lead us in ceremony as we open the space to check in on our milestones. How have our baby-steps added up? What have we mulled over? We’ll press pause and resume for health, happiness, equilibrium, and equity’s sake.

Join us for a healing evening at “Honoring the Summer Solstice through Intercultural Community Ceremony.” The space will facilitate us in honoring our paths and realigning ourselves with what is and is not serving us during this time in which we have the most daylight

..so if you can, allow yourself this time to simply be and charge yourself up with that Community Solstice Sun 
(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

•Mantra and Manifest Actualization•

•Sun Shrine•

•Mindful Movement•

•Group Meditation•

Free and Open to the Public

Tuesday June 19, 2018  Led by Local Ceremonialist

6:30pm  Nathalie “BioDame” Reynoso

WESPAC Foundation  of the Westchester-based

77 Tarrytown Rd,  Suite 2W grassroots organization

White Plains, NY 10607  Ceremony Cerebellum

On-site Parking Available  cer[email protected]

*Bring items you’d like to add to the shrine  ~ love ~

Learning to Sketch and Watercolor

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Frontpage

Join us at WESPAC, our local social justice center, for some fun art classes!
With experienced art teacher Gayle Dunkelberger
June 5th and June 12th
Appropriate for ages 10 and up


When: 4 PM to 5:30 PM
How much: $20 per class
(All funds to support WESPAC)
Scholarship funds available
To register email [email protected]

City of White Plains Honors WESPAC for 44 Years of Progressive Social Change

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Director's Blog, Frontpage

#FREEnewyork Westchester Town Hall

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Criminal Justice, Director's Blog, Frontpage, Racial Justice

Employee Earned Sick Time in Westchester

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Economic and Human Rights, Frontpage, Movement Building

THE PEOPLE’S TOWN HALL-

EMPLOYEE EARNED SICK TIME IN WESTCHESTER NY

Does this sound familiar?  You’re in line at a coffee shop waiting for your order and the sever working behind the counter is coughing and wiping a runny nose and you think to yourself “Great, now I’m going to get sick, why doesn’t this person just stay home”.    Well, it’s likely, because they are one of the 36% of Westchester workers that don’t have employer paid sick leave.  

When so many workers in Westchester don’t have paid sick leave they: come to work sick, send their children to school sick, and ultimately increase the chances of getting us all sick.   In 2018, we can change that by supporting a new law proposed by the Westchester County Legislators that provides Employee Earned Sick Time for workers.   New York City has already passed such a law and has seen many benefits to workers, employers and the community.

You’re invited to take part in a People’s Town Hall to learn, discuss and comment on the benefits and challenges in passing: Employee Earned sick Time in Westchester NY.    

Who: WESPAC & the Community/Labor Coalition for Employee Earned Sick Time

What:   The People’s Town Hall – Subject Matter Experts, a Panel made up of Community, Labor, Education, Healthcare & Small Business, Elected Public Servants, & the Community.

Where: Yonkers Riverfront Library

When: Jan 16th Tuesday 2017, 5:30pm – 7:15pm

RSVP- Joe Mayhew cell 914-374-6848 email [email protected]

Supporters for the Westchester County Employee Earned Sick Time Law

Congregation B’nai Yisrael, CWA Local 1103, Encephalitis Global, Inc, Ethical Culture Society of Westchester, Irvington Activists, Local 1 IUEC, Lower Hudson Valley Progressive Action Network, Mamaroneck High School Young Democrats, New York County Democratic Committee, New York State Nurses Assoc, Safe Energy Rights Group, Inc., Sustainable Port Chester Alliance, Transit Workers Union, WESPAC, Westchester for Change, Westchester National Organization for Women, Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body, Westchester-Putnam Working Families Party

Report Back from Annual NACOLE Conference

Posted on by Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Criminal Justice, Director's Blog, Economic and Human Rights, Frontpage, Movement Building, Racial Justice

Nada will be presenting a report on Thursday, September 28th at 7pm at WESPAC regarding her participation at the Annual NACOLE Conference on behalf of WCPR.  

On September 10th, hundreds of members of law enforcement, community leaders, elected officials, journalists, academics, students and oversight professionals will gather in Spokane, Washington, for the annual four day NACOLE conference (National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement): http://www.nacole.org/2017_annual_conference .

Conference attendees will be able to choose from 31 different concurrent and plenary sessions on a wide range of topics including Building Community Trust, Trauma Informed Policing, Auditing for Accountability, Evaluating Police Use of Force and much more.  Attendees will be part of a learning and networking event that will provide inspiration, ideas and practical knowledge as we work for a vision of implementing best practices and enhanced police legitimacy in our local communities and around the nation.  

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