Read, listen and share our newsletter from our website! 

Civic engagement is a relationship, not an action.

It’s time to reset our mindset on civic engagement. It’s not an action. There isn’t any one single thing you can do that will make change. Period. Real relationships require constant work and connection, it means being aware of what’s going on, being in communication continually, and showing up consistently. And there is no end to the work. – Watch Mallory McMorrow explain this on Instagram

Over 200 people attended our Sunday meeting. People want action, which is what this newsletter is all about. Taking action. Share this newsletter from your email or from our website to educate, activate and organize. 

Some Notes from Sunday’s Meeting: 

• Candidates are passing petitions to get on the ballot for this year’s local elections. Learn about the process here. 

• Thursday, March 6th attend a meeting with your state representative: Senator May, Assemblyperson Magnarelli, Assemblyperson Stirpe all have events Details below. Tell them to Tax the Ultra Wealthy! 

• Sunday, March 9th 3 – 5pm Westcott Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting with Guest Speaker Assemblyperson Pamela Hunter Details Here 

• Special elections are coming up for congress on April 1st. One in NY but that is not scheduled yet, two in Florida on April 1st. 

• Single Use Plastic 

• Upcoming protests on March 14th & March 21st More details below.

Upcoming Meetings of CNY Solidarity Coalition:

Sunday, March 30 @ 3 PM (Note time change during Daylight Saving Time)

April Meetings (Tentative):

Sunday, April 13 @ 3 PM

Sunday, April 27 @ 3 PM

Also, as we prepare for a variety of ways to confront the ongoing coup, see the special Nonviolent Direct Action event on March 19. Details below. 

You receive the newsletter  because you are on the CNY Solidarity Coalition mailing list. 

If you’d also like to be added to Indivisible Onondaga County‘s email list, please Click Here and enter your contact info. 

For info on Indivisible Onondaga County and our other committees: https://www.cnysolidarity.org/committees/  

Reprinted for our new people: Ten easy ways to get involved

 Many of these can be done from home. 

1. Make a regular practice of writing and calling your legislators – use our Contact Your Representatives resource and the newsletter Action Alerts.

2. Come to our meetings. Bring a friend.

3. Read the newsletter and pass it on to others. Read the articles. 

4. Attend events in the newsletter. Bring two friends. 

5. Check out our website and all the resources there. 

6. Tell friends outside CNY to look up Indivisible to find local groups. 

7. Sign up for one of our committees.

8. Get involved in local politics at the town, village, city, or county level. 

9. Run for office. 

10. Check out other local organizations in our Directory of Organizations.

Help block Republicans from disenfranchising millions of voters with their ‘SAVE ACT.’ As early as next week, the House could vote on H.R. 22 (the SAVE Act) — one of the biggest threats to voting rights we’ve seen in a generation. The bill requires voters to show proof of citizenship documents that match their current legal name — something tens of millions of Americans simply don’t have. It’d cause massive challenges for married women and trans and nonbinary people who’ve changed their names, and disproportionately impact people of color. We’ve got a lot more info (including key Members of Congress needed to stop the bill) here. But if you’re ready to take action now, you can use our tools to call or email your representative. 

The Invest in Our New York (IONY) Campaign aims to support every New Yorker and our communities by:

• Increasing taxes on New York’s wealthiest and big corporations to ensure they pay what they owe

• Putting forward a plan for state spending that prioritizes the needs of low-income and working-class people, communities of color, and New York’s most impacted by the affordability crisis; and  

• Shifting the state’s economic development efforts away from corporate giveaways and instead toward resourcing our public programs. 

Read this, then go to one of the Budget Town Halls (March 6, below) and tell 

your reps to support these bills: https://www.investinourny.org/2025-campaign

OR read this first for more info: https://www.investinourny.org/take-action

Help raise $230,000 for critical firefighting equipment to care for lands being returned to Onondaga Nation. Without any support from the state, feds, or county, Onondaga firefighters are relying on donations to meet this critical need.

More Info and Donate Here

World Central Kitchen is honored to share Ramadan with families in Gaza and Lebanon for the second year in a row to serve 5 million nourishing meals. We are humbled to stand alongside these communities, ensuring they feel seen, cared for, and never alone. We believe that compassion knows no bounds. As families in Gaza and Lebanon face immense hardship, you can help us turn empathy into action—one meal at a time.

Donate to World Central Kitchen

On Wednesday, I went to trial at the Syracuse Federal Building on two violation charges stemming from an action November 15, 2024 calling for the US to stop funding genocide in Gaza. After a six-and-a-half-hour trial with a couple of short breaks, the judge found me guilty. I will be sentenced on Wednesday, March 12th.

Read Ellen’s Opening Statement on Facebook

From Ezra and Leah at Indivisible

A plan to harness grassroots energy—and to hold Democratic leaders accountable

Congressional Democrats should lead this charge, but so far, their response has been sluggish, unimaginative, ineffective, and—an absolutely killer liability in our algorithmically driven world—boring. Senate Democrats embraced “strategic silence” on Trump’s nominees. Many House Democrats have focused on professing powerlessness and voicing an interest in reasonable-sounding bipartisan compromise. 

…We need a unified, aggressive, and creative opposition in this country. Here’s what that federal opposition could look like in practice

Read it in The Nation

“Our Committee Must Confront Its Race and Gender Problem” …came from a committee member who happens to also be a county legislator, Maurice “Mo” Brown. In the email, Brown notes that in endorsements in city races over the past eight years, the committee has backed white men over non-white candidates several times only to be rebuffed by the party’s primary voters.

Read it on Syracuse dot com

…first, do everything possible in Congress to slow down the power grab. Deny all support to Trump’s nominees, gum up the works, do not help with the budget and the debt ceiling.

…A second prong is, of course, lawsuits.

…Finally: people on the streets. There is clear evidence that mass protests against the far right can have an effect.

Read it in The Guardian

The period for passing party primary designating petitions … continues through April 3. In Syracuse, four candidates have said they want to run in a Democratic primary, but to get on the ballot, they’ll need at least 1,000 signatures from enrolled party members living in the city.

Read it Here

Some legal experts say the case is a particularly large and dangerous example of a so-called strategic lawsuit against public participation, or SLAPP, which wealthy individuals or corporations use to deter criticism. These cases can succeed even if they ultimately lose at trial or are dismissed, by exhausting the resources of defendants.

Read it on Inside Climate News

Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation

Tuesday, March 4 at 7 pm

Syracuse Center for Peace and Social Justice2013 E. Genesee St.

Info & Registration: https://tinyurl.com/27duj6rn

Come and learn how to get involved in Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation.

Tuesday, March 4, 2025 7:30 PM –  8:30 PM ET

Ahead of the State of the Union, join us for a very timely conversation with renowned historian Timothy Snyder as he discusses the urgent threats of authoritarianism and what we can do to resist it. Drawing from his bestselling book, On Tyranny, Snyder will outline essential lessons from history and provide concrete steps for defending democracy and safeguarding our freedoms. Whether you’re looking for things you can do or simply wanting to better understand today’s political landscape, this discussion will empower you to stand up for democracy. See you there!

Sign Up Here

Wednesday, March 5 at 1pm on Zoom

Are you worried about PFAS contamination in your community? As you may know, PFAS — the toxic “forever chemicals” that accumulate in the environment and in our bodies — are used extensively in semiconductor production. There are no laws governing their disposal, so these hazardous chemicals are often dumped in factories’ wastewater, ending up in our rivers, lakes, groundwater, drinking water, and farmland. (Read more here.)

This training will be practical, not theoretical. Lenny Siegel, executive director of the Center for Public Environmental Oversight, will guide us through the process of researching wastewater permits. Lenny is the country’s leading expert on PFAS contamination and semiconductor manufacturing. You’ll get hands-on instructions for looking up wastewater permits in your local community so you can find out where industrial waste goes and what you can do about it.

Register Here

Wednesday, March 5 – 7-9 PM

Event by ArtRage Gallery and Central Current

505 Hawley Ave, Syracuse, NY, United States, New York 13203

Michelle Gabel is an independent photojournalist based in Syracuse, New York. She is a member of Women Photograph. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, New York Magazine and other major outlets. .. As a freelancer with the Central Current, a non-profit news organization in Syracuse, Michelle continues to highlight the extraordinary everyday people of Central New York.

Michael Greenlar has been behind the lens since 1979. With an eye for the perfect shot, Michael has worked as a staff photographer for the Syracuse Post-Standard Newspaper (Advance Media) since 2003. Additionally he is an on-location, editorial photographer, with publications appearing in Life, Time and The New York Times Magazine. He is currently a freelancer photographer with the Central Current, a non-profit news organization in Syracuse.

Wednesday, March 5, 6-8 PM

Marshall Hall 24, ESF Campus

The Center for Native Peoples and the Environment invites you to our 11th Annual Feast and Film. We will screen “Bad River,” a new documentary film which chronicles the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and its ongoing fight for sovereignty, including a battle to save Lake Superior. Traditional, local Haudenosaunee foods will be served. Sloan Indigenous Graduate Scholars will introduce the film and provide a brief discussion. Write to us at cnpeinfo@esf.edu for more info.

Thursday, March 6 • 6 p.m

Lakeside Fire Department 1002 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse

Complete the constituent survey Here

Thursday, March 6;  6:00-7:30 PM

Upstate Medical University Institute for Human Performance. 

505 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY, 13210 Ground Floor

Please join Senator May for an upcoming town hall meeting in Syracuse for an engaging discussion about the New York State budget. This is your opportunity to ask questions and share ideas

Thursday, Mar 6 at 6:30pm at Fayetteville Library

What would you like to see in this year’s state budget? Assemblyman Al Stirpe wants to hear from you! This is your opportunity to provide your input into Governor Hochul’s 2025-26 State Budget.

Concert with Irish Singer Karan Casey Trio 

Thursday, March 6, 7 PM

Red House Arts Center, 400 S. Salina, Syr. 13202

Legendary Irish musician Karan Casey is joined by Niamh Dunne on fiddle and vocals, and on guitar and accordion, Seán Óg Graham (both of the Irish folk band Beoga). They have toured together for several years and this show premieres new material as well as favorites. Together they bring us songs charged with a sense of social responsibility, from the personal to the historical and political, touching on themes of family, loss, love, the empowerment of women, and Irish revolutionary struggle.

Tickets at https://www.ticketleap.events/…/benefit-concert-w-irish…

Friends of Dorothy is an initiative to be supportive of people with AIDS. Michael Desalvo and Nick Orth, who live in and run the house, have offered home-based care and support to people with AIDS and others in need since October 1992

Saturday, March 8th at 10am

Oswego Bridge on Rt 104 / Bridge Street, 1 Bridge St, Oswego

The Democratic Action Women’s Network is holding a peaceful protest called Line the Bridge. Protestors are invited to stand on Bridge Street between East 1st Street and West First Street with signs bearing their message.

Saturday, March 8, 2025 – 10am to noon. 

International Women’s Day! Free to the public

ArtRage Gallery 505 Hawley Ave, Syracuse, NY, United States, New York 13203 

In his book, Why We Can’t Wait, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “freedom songs are the soul of the movement. They are more than just incantations of clever phrases designed to invigorate a campaign…[they are] the sorrow songs, the shouts for joy, the battle hymns and the anthems of our movement.” From Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” to Amythyst Kiah’s “Black Myself,” music has always been a conduit for hope and empowerment but, in a world where justice and equity have somehow become synonymous with ‘being too political,’ are hope and empowerment enough. Join Crys Matthews for a frank discussion about the ways in which she uses music to, not only call out, but to also call in. READ MORE HERE

Thursday April 3rd at The Palace on James, 2384 James Street Syracuse, NY. 

Academy Award winning documentary No Other Land 

Doors open at 6PM and the film will start promptly at 7. 

Syracuse Peace Council and Jewish Voice for Peace Syracuse 

Get your tickets here No Other Land Film Screening

Ticket sales will cover the cost of the venue and film rental. All additional proceeds will benefit HEAL Palestine, a leading NGO providing critical support for children with severe injuries and amputations who cannot receive adequate treatment in Gaza.

This extraordinary film has won several international awards and tells the story of residents of Masafer Yatta, a region in the Palestinian West Bank which has been a target of the Israeli military for decades. Residents in these villages are constantly evicted, terrorized, and have their homes destroyed by the Israeli military and Israeli settlers. To date the film does not have a US distributor and we are delighted to host an independent screening here in Syracuse,

Other details:

– Seating is first come, first served.

-First floor seating is wheelchair accessible.

– No bags, backpacks, or large purses of any kind are allowed into the Palace Theater. Any items brought in will be searched by security before entering the premises.

If you have accessibility questions, please email spc@peacecouncil.net

Sundays, March 9-April 13, 2025,  11 am-12 pm

The Grotto at Assumption Church, 812 N Salina St, Syr.NY (enter from parking lot)

We are hoping to have lively and thought-provoking discussions about how to build a just society, using short readings from a mix of Catholic, Protestant, and secular sources. The weekly themes are: 1) the dignity of the human person (March 9); 2) solidarity (March 16); 3) subsidiarity and participation (March 23); 4) the common good (March 30); 5) see, judge, act (April 6); and 6) moral courage (April 13).

Monday, March 10, 2025 6:30 PM

Syracuse Stage, 820 E Genesee St, Syracuse 

Gather on unceded Onondaga land to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Onondaga Nation’s historic Land Rights Action. Learn about current developments for land justice, both locally and at the United Nations level. CART services to be provided. 

Speakers: Jeanne Shenandoah, (Onondaga, Eel Clan), Onondaga Elder, Traditional Medicine Keeper Haiwhagall 

Jake Edwards (Onondaga, Eel Clan), Community Educator 

Joe Heath General Counsel of Onondaga Nation 

More information: www.aila.ngo 

Tuesday, March 11th 6:00 – 7:30 pm at Fayetteville Library, 300 Orchard St.

A presentation by Ian Shapiro, Associate Director of Building Science and Community Programs at S.U. Ian is a national expert in the history, design, efficiency, cost of operation and health benefits of  electric heat pumps and holds a number of patents relating to heat pumps and air conditioning. If you are considering upgrading your air conditioning or heating system you want to hear this presentation! In addition to his academic knowledge Ian can speak as a home owner who had a heat pump installed 5 years ago. 

If you want to attend via zoom Register Here

Mar 13, 2025 07:00 PM 

Join RHN for our monthly virtual power hour and prepare for the March 19 mobilization in Albany! These meetings are a great place to learn, get plugged in, and take quick and easy but impactful actions with us. We’re fighting for policies and funding to phase fossil fuels out of buildings to fight climate change, lower utility bills, create good green jobs, and make New York healthier! 

Register for Zoom

Thursday, March 13th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Liverpool Public Library 

Jake Haiwhagai’i Edwards, Onondaga Eel Clan member, will give a lecture about the Haudenosaunee contributions to American democracy.

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy – an alliance of the Six Nation Confederacy of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations – is the oldest continuous participatory democracy in the world.

First in a series presented by the Onondaga Historical Association and the Liverpool Public Library in anticipation of the “A New Agora for New York: Museums as Spaces for Democracy” project that includes the Voices & Votes: Democracy in America exhibit, coming to the Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center from April 18 to May 30.

Additional events will be announced shortly!

Free and open to the public. No advanced registration is required.

Friday, March 14th, 2025 12:00-1:30pm 

Join us for a discussion of the environmental review process for the $100-billion Micron chips manufacturing plant to be built in Clay, NY.  The DEIS has yet to be issued for public comment, but is now being reviewed by governmental agencies and the Onondaga Nation. Members of the SustainCNY Micron work group will offer their views on what is expected in the DEIS, what are the priority issues for review, and what the expected commenting period will be. Whether you have only a passing interest, or if you are an expert willing to write detailed comments, please plan on attending to learn how you can assist with this important step in the development of the Micron facility.

FREE! Registration required by 11am on Friday, March 14th, 2025

Sunday, March 16, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET Online

Host Contact Info: greta@worldbeyondwar.org

Please join us to learn from and support the Refuser Solidarity Network (RSN). The Network works to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories and the militarization of Israeli society, one soldier at a time. They have valiantly stood by refusers serving jail sentences, elevated stories of refusers through social media, press and email campaigns, and educate the global public on the importance of conscientious objection as a tactic. More importantly, they help organize spontaneous refusers into coherent movements with strategies and demands.

Register

From our friends at Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE)

Wednesday, March 19, 11 AM -4 PM

Albany Capitol Bldg.  

The NY HEAT Act is a critical state-level bill that would fight climate change by transitioning our buildings from fossil fuels to clean heating and cooling technology like heat pumps. It would also end subsidies for new pipelines and lower our utility bills to 6% of our income – it’s a win-win for people and planet! We’ll also be advocating for the GAP Fund to fund much-needed housing repairs for renters and homeowners including lead remediation, energy efficiency, and more to make our homes green and healthy.

If you can, prepare by attending the Renewable Heat Now March 13 Power Hour! (above)

Here’s a link to our new one-pager on the bill

More info, register for Rally and Bus

Wednesday, March 19, 6 – 7;30 PM

Bishop Harrison Center

1342 Lancaster Ave, Syr. 13210

Local organizers and trainers Andy Mager and Sarah Howard will share information and facilitate exercises to help us develop our skills and capacity to de-escalate potentially violent situations and keep each other safe as we work to stop the Billionaire Coup continues. Please register for this training to help us to prepare materials and exercises.

Register Here

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 – 7 to 9pm. Free to the public

ArtRage Gallery 505 Hawley Ave, Syracuse, NY, United States, New York 13203

In conjunction with our current exhibition, A PLACE TO CALL HOME: Photographs by Michelle Gabel & Mike Greenlar, please join us for a panel discussion with staff and volunteers from InterFaith Works. Refugee Resettlement has in many ways been the heartbeat within the Syracuse areas for several decades. However, what does this look like in the middle of a national housing crisis? Hear from InterFaith Works of CNY on the many facets of navigating this dynamic, from relationships with landlords, to community support, all the way through preparing a home for an incoming family. InterFaith Works’ Center for New Americans resettles refugees from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, as well as those asylees from many other countries, helping refugees and immigrant families integrate into their new communities. 

March 21 10 AM

in front of the State Office Building – 333 E. Washington St. Syracuse 

Join Citizen Action of NY, Indivisible Mohawk Valley, Sierra Club Central-Northern New York, and other groups and activists. We’ll speak out against the climate change denying Trump administration and urge Gov. Hochul to be a climate leader by releasing the Cap and Invest regulations to the public now, passing the NY HEAT Act, and investing in climate.

RSVP here today

Friday, March 28, 12:05 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

FOCUS Forum from FOCUS Greater Syracuse

Homelessness is on the rise across the country and here in CNY, increasing locally more than 60% since 2019, meaning that nearly 1,200 people in our community find themselves unsheltered or in temporary settings on any given night. 

Having a coordinated community response is more important than ever in the efforts to end homelessness. 

Each community across the country has what is known as Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care of homelessness. The Housing & Homeless Coalition of Central New York (HHC) acts as the Continuum of Care for Central New York. The HHC organizes community resources, collects and analyzes data from community partners, and develops community-wide strategies to streamline the homelessness response system. 

This FOCUS Forum will discuss how the HHC operates and is structured, report on the state of homelessness in our community, and how our community can rise to the growing challenges of homelessness and housing insecurity.

Info/Registration Here

Friday, March 28, 2025 – 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM at ArtRage Gallery

CALL FOR ART

The ArtRage Gallery Board of Directors invites all community members to submit your 10″ x 10″ artwork to be exhibited, and sold, as a fundraiser for ArtRage Gallery, on March 28, 2025.

Artists of all ages, skill levels and backgrounds are encouraged to submit work. SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS! If we can count on you to submit your art please send us a quick email to info@artragegallery.org

to help us with our planning.

Submission Guidelines  and more Here

Saturday, April 5, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm – Destiny USA (Solar Street Pink Lot)

Registration Required 

Review acceptable materials: https://www.sunnking.com/acceptable-materials

Thursday  April 24, 2025

Rosamond Gifford Zoo  Syracuse, NY 13204

Democrat Of The Year: The Hon. John W. Mannion

More Honorees To Be Announced

5:30 p.m. Cocktails 6:00 p.m. | Dinner

RSVP Online

Questions: 315-422-0345  Email: executivedirector@ocdemocrats.com

Syracuse Street Heat is just one, very unencumbered way to work for peace and social justice. We’re part of a decades-long grassroots tradition here, in Ithaca and elsewhere. We stand out and stand up for what we stand for. 

A handful of us stand at busy intersections, for 45 minutes at rush hour, pivoting to the traffic with hand-held signs. We want to get the public thinking about issues often underrepresented in the media. We’re there weekly in almost all of Syracuse’s weather (we seldom cancel). Bring your own sign – or use one of ours. No meetings or committees, so participation time is minimal (yay!) Our Team:  Ann, Dick, Ed, Geoff, Jim, Julienne, Les, Leslie, Peter…. 

To learn more, call Ann or Ed: (315) 478 4571.      

EVERY FRIDAY…4 to 4:45 p.m. (“CEASE FIRE NOW”, etc./ Palestine solidarity)

Focused on the war in the middle East…Israel’s military genocide of Gaza and  invasion of Lebanon. We disperse along the sidewalk with our signs at the very busy intersection of Erie Blvd East and East Genesee St. (across from the DeWitt fire station; park in the nearby mini mall lot.) When the temperature is below 20 degrees, we cancel!

Watch past meetings about Micron, Good Jobs Town Hall, Rallies and more on our YouTube Channel.

Donate to the CNY Solidarity Coalition

CNY Solidarity Coalition contributes regularly to local progressive organizations: Syracuse Peace Council, National Action Network, & Urban Jobs Coalition. We also make occasional donations as needed to other local groups. We depend on your donations for this. 

Donate Online through PayPal

Mail donations to: 

CNY Solidarity Coalition

P.O. Box 6137, Teall Post Office, 226 Teall Ave., Syracuse NY 13217

Our Committees

To sign up for each of the committee mailing lists, contact the person listed. 

Indivisible Onondaga County: Contact: Tom Keck

Climate Justice: Contact: Dick Kornbluth

SLAT (State/Local Action Team) Contact: Peter McCarthy  

Beyond War and Militarism: A joint committee of CNY Solidarity Coalition and the Syracuse Peace Council. Contact: Ron Van Norstrand

Elaine Denton

Peter McCarthy

Coordinating Committee

CNY Solidarity Coalition