JERSEY CITY – All concerned residents of Jersey City are invited to a public forum to talk about issues affecting everyone’s lives today, such as the Board of Education local elections, Jersey City’s infrastructure and parking concerns, clean air, water and food, the presidential election, war and terrorism, and immigration and homelessness outreach, among other topics.
On Wednesday Nov. 2, the free event, “Beyond The Election: Building People Power In Jersey City”, will feature organizers and voices from groups such as Veterans For Peace (NJ Chapter 021), Action 21, Food & Water Watch, Anakbayan NJ, and the Jersey City Peace Movement.
Members of the public are invited to have their voices heard during the open forum segment of the gathering, and to offer input, suggestions and ideas to move forward in an effective way after the elections.
The new umbrella organization will be a collection of progressive community organizations working on local, county, state, national and international issues that impact the lives of Jersey City residents.
One of the central goals of the “Beyond the Elections” forum is to build a shared awareness of how democracy can and should be more than casting a ballot every four years.
The meeting will be held at 345 Central Ave. in Jersey City (between Lincoln and Bowers Streets) on the second floor, from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Veterans For Peace, Chapter 021 (Northern New Jersey) member and organizer Michael Kramer describes his group as such: “We are an organization made up of military veterans, military family members, and allies. We are dedicated to building a culture of peace, exposing the true costs of war, and healing the wounds of war. To this end we work with others in Jersey City to increase public awareness of the impact of the costs of war on our city – including our youth, our elders, our schools, our parks and our infrastructure.”
Matt Smith, Regional Organizer in NJ for Food & Water Watch explains,
“While the Flint water crisis has slipped from the national headlines, the nightmare is still very real for Flint families, and so many more throughout the country who are being denied the basic human right to clean drinking water.”
Jersey City Peace Movement is a peace and justice organization, together since 2004, who also volunteer to help the needy and homeless in Journal Square every last Sunday of each month.
“Our mission in part is to connect the endless wars abroad, including all of our taxes used for them, to the failing infrastructure here at home”, said JCPM’S current director, Erik-Anders Nilsson.
Activist umbrella organization to hold community meeting Nov. 2
