The Northeast Climate Confluence invites you to its first Westchester planning meeting at 6:30 P.M. on Thursday, May 8th at the new WESPAC offices at 17 Marble Avenue in Pleasantville, New York From the group:

Confluence: a mixing of different streams or weather patterns that flow together and become stronger, resulting in a series of storms.

The Northeast Climate Confluence is a week-long coming-together of movements, groups, and individuals to strategize for action, strengthen our relationships, and share ideas and skills. The same system that wages a daily war on our communities is poised to destroy our very life blood: the earth, the water, our food, and our culture. The power to stop this destruction already flows through our roots, and by combining our knowledge and energy we will create real solutions and decrease our dependence on the institutions that are attacking the planet and all life.

This event was conceived as a response to global warming - the disruption of the planet’s climate caused by industrial pollution that threatens all life on Earth. Global warming/global climate change is still a central focus, but we realize that we can’t simply talk about the issue of climate change and ignore the hundreds of other issues that it is deeply connected to. We are looking to address the political and social “climate” as well as the Earth’s changing climate. It is the combination of both that is already bringing us highly visible disasters like Hurricane Katrina, as well as hidden disasters like higher asthma and cancer rates, mass extinctions worldwide, and ongoing wars.

At the confluence we will slow down, take the time to learn from each other, and prepare for the action that we all know we must take. The confluence is not the end-goal of our organizing, it is the beginning. It is calm before the storms. There are many things we will need to do for ourselves in the future. We need to work out what to do if a major storm hits the Northeast and causes flooding and displacement. We need to be able to feed ourselves as oil becomes scarce and gas prices rise. We need to do everything we can to reverse global warming. We need to link struggles, get off the grid, stop being dependent on systems that threaten our lives and hurt our communities, and create a world based on respect and justice.

There will be workshops, performances, trainings and strategy sessions about the issues affecting our communities and our planet from prisons and police brutality to food sovereignty, healthcare, and disaster relief. Together we will plan a day of direct action in coordination with similar gatherings around the world.

People of all ages and backgrounds will have something to offer to the confluence! Young people will play a particularly important role during the Youth Track, a set of workshops organized by and for youth to empower them to make positive change in their communities and the world. Childcare for younger children will also be provided and parents are encouraged to come. We would love to work with any youth groups that are involved with your organization and help get them involved in climate justice activism.

We’ll also have a lot of fun! Enjoy and share music, art, and good food while meeting people from all over the Northeast. Epworth is a beautiful outdoor space with lots of room for camping, and tents and gear will be available for those who don’t have them. There are wheelchair accessible indoor spaces and beds as well. Donations of any size encouraged to cover costs. No one turned away for lack of funds.

The more streams that flow together this Summer, the stronger our current of resistance will become! The confluence is nothing without you and your community. Now is the time to start organizing locally to organize for transportation, food, and logistics to bring together activists from all over the Northeast. Get in touch with the local contact in your area, or if there isn’t one, become one!

Groups in Westchester are beginning to organize for the Confluence. We are holding our first planning meeting at 6:30 P.M. on Thursday, May 8th at the new WESPAC offices at 17 Marble Avenue in Pleasantville, New York. We would love anyone from your organization (or anyone else you know) that is interested in the confluence to come to the meeting on May 8th and get involved. If you cannot make the meeting, but still want to be involved please email me at jonathon.booth@gmail.com

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