Potluck, Jam & Panel: Resilient Greenfield Organizing Party

Sunday, May 5, 2024  2:00pm—5:00pm
The LAVA Center / 324 Main Street / Greenfield, MA

Join us with an acoustic instrument, potluck food, and ideas for answering questions like, "What can we do, locally, about the climate crisis?"

 After a potluck and concurrent acoustic jam,  we'll have expert and local leader panelists to talk about climate science and politics, and ways Stone Soup, Just Roots and other organizations make our community more resilient to climate impacts.  

We'll end with an open conversation about visions and next steps for an inter-generational, climate-informed mutual aid network provisionally called Resilient Greenfield.  This is an emergent project that will change with each new gathering.   

Childcare will be provided - please indicate need when you register below.  Tell us what - and who - you're bringing, so appropriate childcare can be provided. The form will remain open until the capacity of the LAVA Center is reached. 

Schedule

2:00: Doors Open.  Set up Potluck.  Arrange Jam Circle.  Kids to Child Care.
3:15: Start Cleanup.  Set up for Panel
        3:30:  Convene.
        3:45:  Panel (see below)
        4:45:  Next Steps

Panelists

Part 1: Organizing

1. Kevin Young, UMass professor and Abolishing Fossil Fuels: Lessons from Movements that Won author, will set the stage about the history and challenges of climate activism against capitalist sectors, and how to build multiracial, working-class movement.

2. Dan Zackin, 350 Mass organizer and Better Future Project staffperson, will speak about 350 Mass's work around passing state legislation, reducing building emissions, and holding polluters accountable.

3. Amy Calandrella, Union Operating Engineer and WMALF board member,  will discuss the role organized labor can play in support of legislation, with employers, and as a force for direct action. 

Part 2: Local Resilience

1. Sara Brown, co-founder of Redistro & Valley Housing Co-op, will talk about the solidarity economy including the movement to decomodify housing (community land trusts), redistribute resources (mutual aid spaces) and share power (sociocracy).

2. Ashley Kramer, Grants Director of The Stone Soup Cafe will shift focus to consider how our food preparation and distribution network relies on volunteers and donations to address social inequity through mutual aid.  

3. Donna Dusell, Board President of Just Roots and Past Youth Pathways Coordinator of the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board  will talk about needs and strategies for ongoing adaptation to maintain the resilience of our food systems.