Prairie Voter

Poverty & Human Rights: A Training

Monday, December 17
2-4 p.m.

Wesley United Methodist Church
1203 W. Green
Urbana

What you will learn:

* The fundamentals of human rights
* How human rights are articulated in international treaties
* The United States role in human rights treaties
* Begin to understand how to analyze policies that impact poverty through a human rights lens
* Tie real experiences of poverty to human rights

This training utilizes engaged, small-group work. It is a great opportunity to get a more in-depth understanding of poverty as a human rights issue and how to more deeply engage in the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign: realizing Human Rights in Illinois.

There is no fee for this training.

To register, call Kelly Pierron at 773.336.6039 or e-mail frompovertytoopportunity@heartlandalliance.org

http://povertytoopportunity.blogspot.com/

1 Comment »

As people take to the streets to demand that governments address global warming, we’re also facing the prospect of our fossil-fuel based economy running itself into the ground. And while the effects of global warming are becoming increasingly apparent, our consumption of oil has hit all-time highs. So has the price: and most observers think it’s because global oil production is at or near its peak. The more rapidly we consume oil, the more we exacerbate global warming, the sharper the rise in prices is, and the harder it is for our economy to absorb. How do we weather this “perfect storm“?There are answers out there, and they’re not all good ones. Here are some I encounter regularly:

1. Allow the market solve the problem. The market is already being allowed to do this, and its solution is to burn all the oil as fast as we can in order to keep our economy running, and then switch to the next cheapest fossil fuel. Rebuilding our infrastructure around renewable energy is not likely to be profitable in the short term, and oil is still priced lower than renewable energy.
2. Wait for a scientific breakthrough that will provide low-cost energy. It’s impossible to argue that this couldn’t succeed, but most consumers are not willing to risk their energy security on a bet. And when proponents of hypothetical breakthroughs start talking about how much energy the human race could possibly harness (e.g., the total solar energy striking the earth every day), you can be sure they’re not thinking about how much it would cost to build and run the infrastructure required to capture and distribute that energy.
3. Sequester all the carbon we emit, so we can still afford energy. See #2; existing carbon sequestration techniques and technologies are not capable of globally reducing CO2 emissions, and even if they were they wouldn’t be cheap, and energy consumers would have to pay for it.
4. Use biofuels. Again, this is already happening, but production of biofuels is not and will not grow fast enough to significantly delay the peak in what is increasingly being called “total liquids production” (e.g., oil + other liquid fuels). And even if it were it is less energy-efficient than pumping oil, so it’s never going to be as cheap.
5. Use nuclear power. What proponents of this view mean is ramp up the use of nuclear power from current levels. There are serious safety and security concerns about nuclear power and the waste it generates. The industry has built few plants in the United States, but a transition to a primarily nuclear-powered energy economy would require the construction of hundreds of plants in a very short period of time. Among other things, that wouldn’t be cheap.

So what is the solution? Fortunately, it’s simple and irrefutable. Consume less energy.

Reducing energy consumption would lower CO2 emissions and reduce energy costs, freeing up money to invest in a transition to renewable energy sources. It would also help curtail urban sprawl. Sprawl separates residential communities from work and shopping, resulting in more driving per person. And many suburban developments consist of large houses that are expensive to heat, cool, and maintain. Consumers that are “on an energy diet” need high-density, mixed-use, walkable and bike-able neighborhoods. This emphasis on increasing efficiency and reducing waste can eventually pull us out of some of the worst consequences of rapidly rising energy prices. In fact the transition to renewable energy will take work, creating many new jobs in the rapidly-growing renewable energy sector.

Here in Champaign-Urbana, we’re better off than many communities, because we already see the value of public transportation, walkable neighborhoods, high-density mixed-use development, and local food. The storm is upon us, and a good many of us are prepared. If you’re not, there are still many opportunities to reduce energy consumption and save money. Step it up!

No Comments »

Snagged from Open Minds and Open Hearts

The Prairie Green Party has been sponsoring informal discussion events called “Green Teas” that revolve around many community and Green issues. There’s usually a speaker brought in and discussion follows afterward. These are great and informative events that everyone is encouraged to come to!

This week’s topic: Local food. The Green Tea will be on Monday October 15th, 7:30pm at the Urbana Free Library Auditorium. Details are below. The Green Party has always believed that purchasing local food (or anything local for that matter) is usually the most ecologically and sustainable approach to living one’s life. People are now paying attention to what’s in their food and what goes into their bodies. The recent organic boom is evidence of this. (Note to self: buy Whole Foods stock.)

Reasons to eat locally:

Short distance from farm to dinner plate = less fossil fuel usage

Taste a whole lot better and is good for you!

Support local farmers and businesses

Come out and learn about the benefits of eating locally!

Here is the text of the flyer that we’re posting around the community:

The Benefits of Eating Locally
Eric Wilson and Julie Zielinski
recently completed a month long
experiment of only eating food
grown within 100 miles of Champaign-
Urbana. At this month’s Green Tea, they
will be discussing their experience and
where to find local ingredients. Come and
learn how eating locally can benefit the
environment, economy, and your health.

Local snacks, drinks , and discussion
will be served.

Monday, October 15th at 7:30pm
Urbana Free Library Auditorium

Green Tea Discussions Sponsored by the
Prairie Green Party of East Central Illinois.

A different topic every third Monday of the
month - same time and location. Membership
meetings are on the first Monday of the month
at 7:30pm in the Family Room of the Independent
Media Center. All are welcome.

For more information, visit:
www.prairiegreens.org

3 Comments »

National Coming Out Day is an annual event that commemorates the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights that took place in 1987. NCOD events help raise awareness of the LGBT community across the UIUC campus in an effort to provide familiar faces to the LGBT rights movement and to provide support for members of our community that are in the process of coming out.

There will be a Coming Out Rally at 12:00 noon on the U of I Quad. Speakers will be sharing their experiences with being LGBT individuals and straight Allies, and students are invited to share coming out stories and Ally experiences too.

No Comments »

Our two-party system is badly broken, often forcing voters to choose between “the lesser of two evils” or vote for their second or third choice to avoid “spoiling” an election. Fortunately, there’s something voters can do about it–change the way votes are counted. Instead of the vote-for-one, winner-takes-all system we currently use, in which a candidate can win with merely a plurality of the vote, runoff-based systems of the type used in many parts of the world and in many parts of the U.S. ensure that the winning candidate in a contest has received over 50% of the vote. This is accomplished with runoff voting. Traditionally this works in the following way: if no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, the candidate who comes in last is removed from the field and a runoff election is held with the remaining candidates. This process is repeated until a candidate receives over 50% of the vote.

This can be expensive and time-consuming, so instant runoff voting, or IRV, has been developed. In this method, each voter ranks all the candidates, and the runoff process takes place all at once in a single tally.

The benefits of runoff voting are clear for many voters–under IRV they can rank their preferred candidate first without in effect voting for their least preferred candidate. No more “lesser of two evils” and “spoiler effect.” This will enable more candidates to run to reflect more diverse political ideas, because candidates won’t worry that they’re splitting some constituency’s vote.

You can get involved right now, because there’s a local group pushing for IRV for municipal elections in Urbana. Since instituting IRV requires voters to approve the change via a referendum, the group is planning to circulate petitions to put the referendum on the 2008 primary ballot. For more information visit http://www.irvforurbana.net/, and come to a meeting at 7:00 pm on Monday, May 14th at the home of Jan and Durl Kruse, 2007 S. George Huff, Urbana.

2 Comments »

Tom Abram and Kostas Yfantis, both of whom ran for IL state rep and county board respectively on the Green Party ticket, are giving a Communiversity course at the YMCA on running for office. If you’re considering running (and I encourage it) this is a good way to familiarize yourself with campaigning. The course runs this Saturday, April 7 and next Saturday, April 14 from 3pm to 5pm each day. It will be at the University YMCA’s Wahl Room at 1001 South Wright St. There is $5 registration fee and you can sign up at the session.

Participating in the democratic process as a candidate should not be restricted only to the affluent members of society. The goal of this workshop is to demystify the intricacies of running for political office. You will hear from local candidates, volunteers and campaign managers on what you need to do to make it to the ballot and run a successful political campaign. Issues that will be covered include: petitioning, filling paperwork, completing questionnaires, interacting with the media, creating campaign material, canvassing techniques, fundraising strategies, participating in interviews and debates, giving speeches and organizing campaign events.

We need regular Joes in office So attend, listen, and run (for office that is).

1 Comment »

April 2, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Elizabeth Majerus, Step It Up 2007 Organizer

217-384-6552

emajerus@uiuc.edu

LOCAL GROUP JOINS NATIONWIDE ACTION URGING CONGRESS TO “STEP IT UP ON GLOBAL WARMING” Champaign-Urbana residents will gather at West Side Park on April 14

Champaign – On Saturday, April 14, Champaign-Urbana residents concerned about the catastrophic effects of global warming will rally together at West Side Park to urge Congress to cut carbon dioxide emissions 80% by 2050. The event is part of the National Day of Climate Action, the largest day of citizen action focusing on global warming in our nation’s history.

The rally is sponsored by Step It Up 2007, a national organization committed to reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses. Rally attendees will have the opportunity to send postcards to Congress asking US leaders to take immediate measures to cut carbon emissions. The event is one of more than a thousand rallies going on across the US on April 14^th to raise awareness of the immediate need for action to combat the problem of climate change. The rally begins at 1:00 PM.

Participants in the event will be photographed displaying a banner with the message: “Step It Up Congress! Cut Carbon 80% by 2050!” This photograph will be sent to Washington, DC along with photos from hundreds of other events across the country so Members of Congress can see for themselves that their constituents are demanding bold action.

“This is a wake-up call to legislators,” said Elizabeth Majerus, local event organizer. “We want to show them that their constituents view global warming as the greatest threat facing our civilization today. And the action we are proposing – cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2050 – is a realistic goal. It’s less than a 2% reduction per year from current emission levels.”

###

I would also like to add that the Prairie Greens are cosponsoring the event.

No Comments »

James Howard Kunstler, author of Geography of Nowhere and The Long Emergency, will give a lecture at 6:30PM on Tuesday, April 3rd in Plym Auditorium (134 Temple Buell Hall, 611 E. Lorado Taft Dr., Champaign). The lecture is free, and seating is first come-first serve.
Before the lecture there will be a “Meet and Greet” with Mr. Kunstler at 5:00PM in the TBAG auditorium of the Architecture Building. This is just across the street.

For further information, please contact Andrew Pierson, pierson@uiuc.edu

1 Comment »

Hello to the folks out there in the blogopshere! Welcome to Prairie Voter; a blog dedicated to local politics and Green news/opinion in and around Champaign-Urbana. We thank you for your patience while we at Prairie Voter continue to work on getting the blog up and running.

The blog is maintained by the Prairie Greens of East Central Illinois and I am only one of many contributors to this blog. So allow to me give you a small intro about myself.

I am currently a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in History and a minor in Secondary Education. I’m also involved with the Campus Greens, Prairie Greens, and Students for Environmental ConcernS along with many other activist and progressive causes. I truly believe that America and Champaign-Urbana is ready for a new voice to enter government. Green politics is about people. It’s about grassroots and participatory democracy. It is our right and our responsibility to make government truly of, by, and for the people. So empower yourself! We’re all in this together!

Again welcome to Prairie Voter and pardon us while we fine tune things around here!

26 Comments »

This is a test post.

2 Comments »