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Good morning, all!I wanted to keep you apprised of exciting plans for the April 14th Westchester Social Forum that will take place at the Andalusia School in Yonkers!There is free parking all along Walnut Street on Sundays. If you would like to park in the school parking lot, plan to arrive no later than 11:30am!Outline for the afternoon:12 to 12:30pm networking, tablingWESPAC will provide complimentary food and drinks.12:30pm to 12:45pm: prepare for the People's Parade! We will gather in our various contingents12:45pm to 1:30pm The People's Parade! Colorful, with banners, placards, signage, instruments that celebrate all of our campaigns for social, racial, economic and environmental justice. It will be a short loop in the neighborhood of the school.1:45pm to 2:35pm: Opening Plenary Session with Land Acknowledgement, Music Provided by Professional Musicians Firas Zreik (please read his very impressive bio here www.firaszreik.com/epk and George Ziadeh.George Ziadeh is a Palestinian American vocalist/oudist, composer, and educator residing in New York City. He started his career at a young age, singing and playing the oud from the age of 12. His expertise is on the maqam repertoire from the late 19th and early 20th centuries from Cairo and Aleppo and more recently the Baghdadi maqam tradition. In addition to being a classical maqam performer, he has collaborated with different artists in a range of genres: from jazz, classical Indian traditions such as raga, flamenco to Afro-Cuban music. He has performed with Amir el Saffar, Aruan Ortiz, Hamid al Saadi, and the National Arabic Orchestra among many others, and has performed widely in Europe, America, and the Middle East.Our special guest speaker for the opening plenary is Maurice Carney.Maurice Carney is a co-founder and Executive Director of the Friends of the Congo. He has worked with Congolese for over twenty-five years in their struggle for peace, justice and human dignity.Mr. Carney possesses two bachelor's degrees, a masters degree and is pursuing a Ph.D. in political science. He has worked with civic associations in West Africa providing training on research methodology and survey. He served as the interim Africa working group coordinator for Rev. Jesse Jackson when he served as Special Envoy to Africa. Mr. Carney has worked as a research analyst for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and as a research consultant for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.For decades Maurice has been advocating for the dignity and inclusion of the Congolese civil society in all efforts for peace, democracy, food sovereignty, and climate justice. He provides consultation to political leaders in the US, Canada, Latin America, Africa, the UN as well as to international NGOs and funders. Interviews with Maurice can be found in the New York Times, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Democracy Now, Pacifica Radio Network and a number of other media outlets.Please note: There will be only one workshop session this year from 2:45pm to 4pm. We are in the process of finalizing the workshop descriptions and we will post to the website as soon as we can at the following link: wespac.org/wsf/We are closing out the afternoon at 4pm with the Freedom Dabke Dance troupe: www.instagram.com/p/CEsqeX3lHT6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==No one will be permitted entry without registering! To save time, we strongly recommend pre-registering at the link above so that you can sail through as opposed to waiting in lines!There are a handful of spaces left for groups to table in case you have not already registered to table and would like your organization to have a presence there! All details located at the link above!Stay tuned,Nada
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wsf | WESPAC Foundation
Westchester Social Forum Join community organizations in Westchester for a social forum to exchange ideas and information, foster solidarity, and celebrate our work to create a more just and equal soc...4 days ago
5 days ago
MEDIA ALERT | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2024 Contacts: Howard Horowitz, Jewish Voice for Peace Westchester cell: 914.907.6323Alicia Singham Goodwin, JFREJ Political Director, [email protected] (347.391.7642) THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Westchester Residents Registered to Attend George Latimer’s “State of the County” Informed They Were No Longer Welcome WHO: Local Westchester Residents WHEN: Thursday, March 14 at 5:00 pm WHERE: 148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, NY WHAT: At least a dozen Westchester residents who had submitted an RSVP to attend George Latimer’s “State of the County” address were informed on Wednesday, March 13, the day before the event, that they were no longer welcome. Registered participants, some of whom had registered more than a month in advance, were told that they would not be able to attend the event as it was now “over capacity,” despite having previously received confirmation that they could attend. County residents who were denied entry seek clarity from Latimer’s office as to how the decision was made to exclude specific attendees. Latimer, the current Westchester County Executive, is running against incumbent Congressman Jamaal Bowman in the Democratic primary for NY CD-16, in a race defined by Latimer’s support for Israel’s ongoing assault on the besieged Gaza Strip, and controversy around AIPAC’s significant contributions to Latimer’s campaign. Separately, a coalition of local organizations are planning a “People’s State of the County” in protest of Latimer’s Speech.###
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