This Years’ Theme: Taking Direct Action at the Local Level

Speakers
Stuart Chen-Hayes, CUNY Lehman College - “Growing the Green Wave in our Own Backyards: Joy and Purpose in Challenging Neoliberalism and Fascism”
Stuart is an active member of the Bucks County Green Party and a professor of education. He is a member of the CUNY Lehman College Counselor Education/School Counseling faculty and co-author of 101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times. He has delivered over 260 professional counseling and social justice education presentations in 35 USA states, Taiwan, and Hong Kong and was active in the recent recount efforts.in Bucks County.

Wendy Lee, Bloomsburg University – “Climate Change, Social Justice, and the Rise of the Trump Tyranny: Lessons from Standing Rock”
Wendy is professor of philosophy at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where she has taught for over 25 years. She is deeply committed to teaching, writing, and a life as a robustly engaged feminist insurgent particularly in the environmental movement as a writer, researcher, and amateur photographer. Wendy has published about 40 scholarly essays in her areas of expertise--philosophy of language, philosophy of mind/brain, feminist theory, post-Marxian theory, nonhuman animal welfare, ecological aesthetics, aesthetic phenomenology, and philosophy of ecology – and is about to publish a third book: Eco-Nihilism: The Philosophical Geopolitics of the Climate Change Apocalypse (Lexington Books/Rowman and Littlefield).

Kyla Schneider and Bridget McCallum, Gettysburg College - “Farmhouse: Campus Housing: Modeled for Sustainable Living and Social Justice”
Kyla and Bridget are students at Gettysburg College where they participate in a unique housing cooperative, tied to the departments of Political Science and Ecological Science, which focuses on sustainable living and social justice.

Sheri Miller and Jennie Isaacs, Green Party of PA Committee Co-Chairs - “How GreenWave Can Help Us Win Elections!” 
Sheri and Jennie have worked tirelessly with the GreenWave Committee to create a platform (www.greenwaveofpa.org ) and a process for supporting Green Party candidates at the local level and will provide an overview of the new plan.

Workshops
Green Party of Pennsylvania - “Running for Office”
By popular demand, this workshop will be facilitated by former Green candidates and will cover a variety of topics from requirements and deadlines, to setting up and financing your campaign.

Michelle Whittaker, FairVote - “Better Elections are Possible: Moving to Ranked Choice Voting and Proportional Representation”
Michelle is the Communications Director at FairVote. FairVote researches and advocates for solutions that give voters more voice and greater choice in their elections.

Gerald Smith, Berks Progressives for Truth & Justice - "The Great Turning: the What, Why, and How of Social Transformation" (double session)
Gerald's session will summarize why the political, technological, sociological, policy, and environmental dynamics of the planet and the US necessitates immediate social transformation in what David Korten called, "The Great Turning" and then follow up with a workshop and small-group activity, during which participants will throw together their own transformational design concepts based on models/templates/conceptual diagrams.

Rebecca Shoemaker, Pottstown Standing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) - "Defusing Racial Micro-Aggression"
Rebecca will be introducing the Pottstown SURJ which was officially launched as a local affiliate of SURJ in January. Her workshop will include "role-play" of racial micro-aggression Followed by discussion for ways to appropriately change the dialog and/or behaviors.

Mikki Reese, Berks Progressives for Truth & Justice - "Spiritual Activism: How to be a Warrior for Truth and Justice without Losing Your Soul" 
Mikki's workshop will explore how to turn justified anger into action based in a higher consciousness of love, compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and forgiveness. It will draw on the teachings of people like Joseph Campbell, Thich Nhat Hahn, the Dalai Lama, the Lakota, Riane Eisler.

Mark Clatterbuck, Lancaster against Pipelines - "Pipelines, Eminent Domain, and Environmental Impact Statements"
Mark has first-hand experience dealing with issues of eminent domain, environmental impact statements, and engagement with the community and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in efforts to stop a natural gas pipeline planned to come through his community.

Daniel Riehl, Pilgrims Mennonite Peace and Justice - "Militarized Drones and their Deployment in Yemen" 
Daniel, a retired physician, is a great example of activism at the local level. After the U.S. Air Force announced last March that the PA Air Guard’s 111th Fighter Wing – based at the Horsham Air Guard Station – would establish a remote-control drone war command center for MQ-9 Reaper drone strikes, Daniel helped organize regular protests at the base as well as educational outreach to the public, through schools, churches, and public events.

Mary Beth Kuznik, VotePA – “The Core of our Democracy: the Right for your Vote to be Counted Accurately”
Marybeth is the founder and executive director of VotePA (www.votePA.us), a statewide non-partisan alliance dedicated to voting rights and election integrity in Pennsylvania. She is known for her strong advocacy on behalf of accurate and fair elections both in Harrisburg and on Capitol Hill in D.C.

Carol Kuniholm, Fair Districts PA Coalition - “Pennsylvania Redistricting”
Fair Districts PA is a coalition of citizens and organizations working to ensure that political district maps are drawn in a fair and transparent way through a process that allows voters to choose their legislators rather than legislators choosing their voters.