Community Food System Gathering: September 29, in Ithaca

FREE! Tompkins County Residents, municipal officials, and food system stakeholders are invited for a discussion of the local food system and a light meal. The Tompkins Food Future team will share the results of a baseline assessment of the Tompkins County Food System with you and would like to hear your insights, innovations, and hopes for the future. Your thoughts and contributions will be incorporated into a shared Food System Plan over the coming year. Dishes and refreshments will be provided by various guest chefs if it feels safe to do so.

Fight for Energy Democracy in Rochester!

Our community deserves a utility that takes care of our energy needs. This Saturday, August 28th, Metro Justice’s Rochester for Energy Democracy Committee will canvass Rochester residents about establishing a pubilc utility to replace Rochester Gas & Electric. The canvass will take place from 1:00pm – 5:30pm, beginning at the Metro Justice office. Talking to your neighbors is a great first step towards getting them involved so that we have the people power to win. Lunch, coffee, and tea will be provided! There will be a brief training before participants split into pairs and depart for their turf. We will reconvene at the Metro Justice office by 5:00pm to hand in petitions and debrief. A script and FAQ will be posted in advance; please stay tuned.  

City Roots Community Land Trust

City Roots is a collaborative of homeowners, renters, youth, allies and partners that helps to establish and promote permanently affordable, equitable housing in Rochester. They want to help cultivate the perspective that socially-owned land can help affirm housing as a human right, build community wealth, and allow for investment in our communities without displacing those who live there. In addition to the work that they do, they recently kicked off Weekly Pull-Ups! At these meetings, attendees are invited to eat pizza, do yoga, participate in small group projects that benefit the community, and connect with other members. They also host volunteer clean ups, potlucks, and bike repair events!

Exciting new activist opportunity for young people!

City and county governments that are not adequately addressing the climate crisis need to be called to account for failing to protect the basic human rights of their citizens, and who better to do this than the young people whose rights are being, and will be, most dramatically impacted? Enter Youth Climate Courts, a program where you can get together with other young activists (ages 14-26) and participate in real, local human rights trials about climate change. These youth courts contain youth judges, youth prosecuting attorneys and youth jury members. Youth leaders organize these trials and summon members of local government to attend and explain themselves against charges that that government is failing to adequately protect the basic human and constitutional rights of its citizens, especially of the children, in face of the threats of climate change.