Read, listen and share our newsletter from our website! 

February 9,  2 PM – 4 PM . In person. 

Bishop Harrison Center, 1342 Lancaster Avenue, Syr. 13210

Join us for our February meeting and let’s get to work. We will be meeting in small groups first to organize actions like working to pass climate legislation in New York, writing letters against a taxpayer funded aquarium, planning public demonstrations and more! RSVPs are appreciated. All are welcome. 

Here are some things we will want people to participate in: 

• Legislator visits

• Coordinated legislator phone calls/emails on particular bills

• Social media: Facebook, Bluesky…

• Our website: general updates, Directory of Organizations, Resources, Issues, etc. 

• Letters to the Editor/OpEds

• Tabling for us at events

Meeting Policy: In case of a change due to weather, health warnings, etc., we will make a decision by 10 AM the day of the meeting and switch to Zoom. An email notification will be sent.

From Indivisible: House Democrats have one more chance to be on the right side of history on the anti-immigrant Laken Riley Act. 

With the bill passing in the Senate,  where Republicans not only blocked amendments that would limit the dangers of the bill, but made it even more harmful by expanding the reasons why an undocumented immigrant can be indefinitely detained. 

Then, this new iteration of the bill comes back to the House for Members of Congress to vote on again. If it passes there, it goes to Trump’s desk where he’ll sign it into law.  And we know that his administration will use this bill as justification for targeting and criminalizing all noncitizens, including children and Dreamers. 

Use Indivisible’s link to call OR call Mannion’s DC office: (202) 225-3701

Meta tracks your activity across millions of websites and apps, regardless of whether you use its platforms, and it profits from that data through targeted ads. If you want to limit Meta’s ability to collect and profit from your personal data, here’s what you need to know.

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Are you considering running for office or volunteering for a campaign? Or do you simply want to know more about the political process?  Consider registering for the CNY Political Leadership Institute (CNY PLI).

The program is a nuts-and-bolts training on the mechanics of running for office. How do you get on the ballot? How much money do you need to raise and what is the required financial reporting? How do you handle campaign social media? How do you create a strategy to get supporters to vote? These questions and many more are covered in the program. 

This nonpartisan training program involves speakers and representatives from ALL parties. It is co-chaired by Onondaga County Legislator David Knapp (R) and Chief of Staff for Assemblywoman Pam Hunter, Lisa Sacco (D). Participants are connected to elected leaders and party operatives who are willing to share their personal experiences.

Info/register

Are you in the 128th Assembly District? If so, take Assemblywoman Hunter’s 2025 Constituent Survey. Take Survey Here

 – outside our building for almost four years now! Hundreds of pounds of food are accessed by folks in our immediate neighborhood and beyond each month. Beginning in the fall, we’ve been providing lots of bagels and bread, courtesy of Collegetown Bagels on Marshall Street.

We’re looking for help picking up the bagels some mornings each week and bringing them to our office. The timing is a bit flexible and the ideal is to do it a day or two each week on a consistent basis.

It’s a great opportunity to help folks and Syracuse Cultural Workers as well.  To help, please email andy@syracuseculturalworkers.com.

Thanks and feel free to share with others who might be interested!

President says his executive orders will lead to ‘complete restoration of America’. Here’s what we know so far.

Read it in The Guardian

Walter Schaub, former head of the Office of Government Ethics under Trump: “…Trump’s corruption and naked profiteering is so open, extreme and pervasive this time around that to comment on any one aspect of it would be to lose the forest for the trees. The very idea of government ethics is now a smoldering crater.”​​

Read Richardson on Substack

Estate/inheritance tax laws … create loopholes for the obscenely rich, who can pass down their wealth without paying a dime. In fact, ’“[t]he richest Americans are able to pass down approximately $200 billion each year without paying estate tax on it, thanks to the use of complex trusts and other avoidance strategies, estimated Daniel Hemel, a tax law professor at New York University.”

Looking to get a little more outraged? Read this really comprehensive New York Times article

It looked like 2025 could be a tipping point for climate action in New York. Instead, the governor is backtracking on key parts of her agenda.

…Hochul didn’t include: a plan to move ahead this year with cap and invest, the flagship climate funding program she has promised for the last two years. Instead, in the briefing book accompanying her speech, Hochul appeared to further delay the program, once again calling into question New York’s ability to deliver on its climate law.

Read on NYSFocus

It provides practical tips for how you can protect your community and defy Trump’s authoritarian agenda, whether you live in a red or blue state. It answers many of the questions we get from new activists about things you should be doing a lot over the coming weeks, like placing calls to your member of Congress and how to organize locally. 

The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office should stop justifying the use of handcuffs on an 11-year-old Syracuse girl and apologize for traumatizing her in their zeal to catch a car thief.

Read on Syracuse.com

Covers “the mayor’s four major objective areas: achieving fiscal sustainability, increasing economic investment and neighborhood stability, providing quality constituent engagement and response, and delivering city services effectively, efficiently, and equitably.”

See the Annual Report

Tuesday, January 21, 7:30PM ET online

From Red Wine and Blue

Extremism is costing public education billions each year! From extra security, to lost administrative time, to staff turnover, schools are wasting money that could be used to help students. Learn how extremism affects our classrooms, our communities, and our budgets, and how we can all fight back to protect our schools.

Register

In 2025, New York State’s landmark Climate Law is under attack. With fast approaching deadlines and a climate change denier headed to the Oval Office, New York can and must be a climate leader for the rest of the nation.

Thankfully, in 2025 New York State will start collecting substantial amounts of money under the state’s Climate Law for the first time. It’s our job to ensure that money is spent effectively for climate justice.

RSVP today to join us in Albany on January 22nd for a statewide Fund Climate mobilization and lobby day to demand action on the climate crisis.

NY Renews is coordinating buses and transportation across the state. Contact Ethan at egormley@citizenactionny.org for more information

Jan 23, 2025 07:00 PM   

Join Renewable Heat Now for our monthly virtual power

Not going to sugar-coat it: it’s looking dismal for environmental and renewable energy initiatives at the federal level. However, here in New York, state-level progress is still possible! The Renewable Heat Now campaign and its many statewide allies are heading to Albany on February 4 to advocate for the NY HEAT Act. Join the informative and energizing January 23 Power Hour at 7pm on Thursday evening

January 24, 2025, FOCUS Forum

Register Today 

FOCUS collected the major recurring topics of interest in our community by reviewing insights from various local listening sessions and reports held in Central New York. These priority areas include: Economic and Workforce Development; Housing Stability and Development; Community Engagement and Transparency; Education and Career Readiness; Health and Family Support 

Our next step is to narrow our focus to more specific topics within these broad areas. We are looking for community input on which specific subjects they would like to explore further in upcoming FOCUS Forums.

We invite everyone to register for the live forum and participate in our survey. The survey will allow you to share your interests and suggest panelists and organizations you’d like to see at our 2025 Forums.

During the live forum, we will dive into your survey responses

Saturday January 25, 2025. 10:00 AM to 12 Noon. 

St. Lucy’s Church, 432 Gifford Street, Syracuse

A shift to Indigenous Values is critical if we are going to help save Mother Earth from continuing devastation.   .

Fortunately, Syracuse University boasts of a foremost scholar and longtime activist who can guide our attention to the values of our neighbors, the Onondaga Nation: Philip P. Arnold, professor of religion at SU, and the author of The Urgency of Indigenous Values [2023]. 

Professor Philip Arnold and his life partner, Sandy Bigtree (Mohawk Nation), will give a talk on this crucial topic. Arnold & Bigtree are founders of the non-profit organization the Indigenous Values Imitative. Using a “values approach.” their work with the Onondaga Nation leadership over the last 45 years resulted in the creation of the Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center in 2015.

Saturday, January 25, 2025 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time

Petit Branch Library, 105 Victoria Pl., Syr 13210

Registration is required. There are 13 seats available.

Join Petit Library and learn about energy saving programs and other ways to save energy and money this season. Come enjoy refreshments and take home a FREE DIY energy kit valued at $40. 

Registration required.

Saturday, Jan. 25, 6 Pm

May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, 3800 E. Genesee St., Syr 13214

Are you lying awake at night, worrying about where our democracy is headed? Finding yourself doom scrolling through social media when you’d rather be having real conversations with real people? Ready to make friends and maybe, just maybe, help save the world while you’re at it? We’ve got something for you.

Join us for BYOD (Build Your Own Democracy), a new casual, non-religious discussion salon and workshop where the Syracuse progressive community can connect, share ideas, and turn anxiety into action. Bring your passion and your friends so that we can build this world better together.

Registration is necessary to ensure we have enough folks for hearty discussion. 

Register at office@mmuus.org

Syracuse Immigrant Refugee Defense Network

Monday, January 27th, 2025 5:30-7:00pm on Zoom

Register: sirdn315@gmail.com

Many SIRDN volunteers provide rides as needed.  We are offering this training again at this time so that newcomers can join our volunteer driver group AND so that everyone providing rides can review both our policy AND legal issues (Know-Your-Rights – KYR) as it relates to private vehicles.  We encourage you to attend both the Know Your Rights Training offered through UUMC (see Jan. 19 above) and this Transportation Training, even if you have given rides before and feel comfortable.  New questions may pop up AND newer drivers will appreciate the support! (PS. Just to make sure everyone knows:  we are volunteers, so you only drive when you have time and no other constraints at that moment! No pressure.

Wednesday, January 29  at 5:00pm – 7:00pm 

Bishop Harrison Center, 1342 Lancaster Ave, Syracuse
Friends of Dorothy is our initiative to be supportive of people with AIDS. Since October of 1992 we have offered home-based care to people with AIDS in a variety of ways, including recuperative or hospice care, supportive housing and emergency assistance.

Check Friends of Dorothy on Facebook for updates

Wednesday, Jan. 29, 7 PM

May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, 3800 E Genesee St, Syracuse, NY 13214

Robin will read excerpts from her new book, The Serviceberry, and share reflections on the current moment. Robin will be available to sign copies of her books, which will be available for purchase from Syracuse Cultural Workers, along with other related materials.

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at SUNY ESF.

There is no fee for the event, but donations are encouraged to support the Onondaga Nation Volunteer Fire Department (https://givebutter.com/ONVFD-benefit) which has significantly increased needs to care for the lands in the Tully Valley recently returned to the Onondaga Nation. 

January 31, 2025, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. EST

Eggers Hall, 220. SU Campus

The Moynihan Institute in partnership with the Campbell Institute welcomes Stephen E. Hanson from William & Mary, and Jeffrey S. Kopstein from the University of California, Irvine. 

Across the world, in countries as diverse as Hungary, Israel and the U.S., attacks on the modern state and its workforce are intensifying. These attacks are led by self-aggrandizing politicians who attempt to seize control of the state for themselves and their cronies. What replaces the modern state—professional  government agencies organized under the rule of law—once it is fatally undermined is an earlier, more destructive form of politics: the rule of men. In their new book…Hanson and Kopstein describe the dangers of state erosion and outline a strategy that can reverse this destructive trend.

Info Here

Feb. 4,  Albany NY

Please sign up right now to join us in Albany on February 4 for the NY HEAT Act Rally and Advocacy Day. There are buses available and carpools forming across the state. We will provide free lunches. Register now to receive further updates. Please also share the February 4 NY HEAT Albany Action Day Facebook event and invite your networks and friends. We need to show our people power in Albany now more than ever!

Tuesday, February 11th 6:00 – 7:30pm

Fayetteville Library 300 Orchard St. Fayetteville, NY 

Presentation by: Timothy Volk, PhD 

Climate Change Awareness & Action 

Join us for an exciting presentation on a renewable and sustainable energy source produced right here in Central NY Dr. Volk is Professor & Assoc. Chair of the Sustainable Resources

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