A big thank you to all who came out to our March 6th kick-off event. What a diversity of ethnicities, faiths, ages, and political worldviews we packed into that one room! We found out just a couple of hours before the event that our main presenter, Craig Mokhiber, had been hospitalized. I can, thank God, inform you all that Craig is home and well again. Father Raphael gave a compelling presentation, and many thanks to Rana Saba as well for participating in the Q&A panel.
As a result of our adjusted lineup and out of a desire to draw on the knowledge and experiences represented by attendees, we decided to turn the Q&A portion of the evening into a true dialogue, making the mic available not only to those with questions but also those with answers, while those on the panel fielded some questions as well. It was unpolished, in the most beautiful of ways, and I thank those of you who came up in front of everyone and shared what was on your heart. Your thoughts, feelings, and experiences matter, and I am grateful for the value you brought to our evening together.
We received several questions ahead of the event as well as a handful during the event that we either did not have time to answer or we felt could be better answered by Craig once recovered. I kept those questions. As dialogue is one of the cornerstones of this Collective, I think it’s important that if someone took the time to write out a question for one of our events, we do our best to answer them. So we’re going to get those questions answered for you, and we will be posting those answers here; stay tuned!
Please mark your calendars for our next event, this month’s Community Dialogue and Action meeting, on Tuesday, March 26th, at 7 p.m. at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church (1073 Saunders Settlement Rd. in Niagara Falls). You will be hearing from Craig Mokhiber, former U.N. human rights official and international human rights law, policy, and methodology strategist, as well as Anna Falicov, lawyer and coordinator of Buffalo’s Jewish Voice for Peace chapter. This is a powerhouse lineup that we’re very excited to bring you!
Following the presentations will be a time of Q&A and dialogue. We will also be equipping you with one (optional) concrete action each of you can take to contribute to a more peaceful world. And of course, there will be refreshments! This event is free (donations accepted via cash, check, or Venmo @CPCWNY.) There will be items available for a suggested donation, as well as a basket raffle! Please register here. Early registrations help us plan for food and materials.
You are encouraged to share the below flyer widely within your networks. When you do, please share the registration link as well to make it easier for people to access (as the flyer is not clickable): https://form.jotform.com/240688720230150.
Thank you all, and see you again soon!