Are you in or around Des Moines, and curious to hear more about the Four Necessity Valve Turners and the tradition of non-violent civil disobedience that formed them? Come to the annual Midwest Catholic Worker Faith and Resistance retreat March 15-17 at Trinity UMC (1548 8th St., Des Moine, Iowa)!_ Two of the Four Necessity Valve Turners (Brenna Cussen Anglada of St Isidore Catholic Worker Farm, Cuba City, WI and Allyson Polman, formerly of Mustard Seed Catholic Worker Farm in Ames, Iowa) will speak at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, March 16th. Afterwards, four of the Kings Bay Plowshares Activists (Carmen Trotta, 55, of the New York City CW; Clare Grady, 59, of Ithaca NY CW; Martha Hennessy, 62, of the New York City CW; Patrick O’Neill, 61, of the Fr. Charlie Mulholland CW, Garner, NC) will speak for 1 hour by Skype starting at 3 p.m on Saturday March 16. ----
What is the Annual Catholic Worker Faith and Resistance Retreat? For over a decade, Catholic Workers throughout the Midwest have joined together to amplify local organizing while forming ourselves more deeply in the non-violent civil disobedience tradition of our movement. Five years ago in 2014 on St Patrick's Day the Midwest CW Faith and Resistance Retreat was hosted by the Des Moines Catholic Worker and Veterans for Peace, concluding with a protest at the announced site of a yet to be build Iowa National Guard Armed Drone Command Center (more information here). This year the Midwest Catholic Workers are returning to DM for their annual Faith and Resistance Retreat. All are welcome.
Friday, March 15 at 7:30 pm, Speakers: Catholic Worker Plowshares activists - Sisters Carol Gilbert and Ardeth Platte
Saturday, March 16 at 7 pm, Speaker: Kathy Kelly with Voices for Creative Nonviolence
Sunday, March 17 at 1 pm, St Pat's Day Rally and Direct Action at Iowa Air National Guard Drone Command Center (3100 McKinley Ave, Des Moines)
All are welcome to the talks, retreat and Sunday Rally and Direct Action.
If planning to risk arrest, the Sunday morning nonviolence training session is required.
--- Detailed Schedule for March 15 – 17, 2019 Midwest CW Faith and Resistance Retreat: Friday March 15 - 4 p.m. Arrival at Trinity UMC (1548 8th St., Des Moines, Iowa) 6 p.m. Supper @ Dingman CW House (1310 7th St. - 3 blocks from the church). 7:30 p.m. Program with Srs Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert @ Trinity UMC Saturday March 16 - 7 a.m. Breakfast - Dingman House 9 a.m. Trinity UMC - Welcome, overview, announcements, introductions of Catholic Worker communities, Veterans For Peace chapters and individuals 9:45 a.m. Two of the "Four Necessity Valve Turners" Brenna Cussen Anglada and Allyson Polman report on their action and give an update on court proceedings 10:30 a.m. Trinity UMC - Brief history of past Midwest F&R Retreats & report on DM's2 yr drone campaign. Choose Round Table Topics for afternoon sessions... Noon Lunch 1:30 p.m. First Set Round Tables- Trinity UMC 3 p.m. Skype with Kings Bay Plowshares Activists – Trinity UMC 4:15 p.m. Second Set Round Tables - Trinity UMC 5: 30 p.m. Supper 7 p.m. Program with Kathy Kelly at Trinity UMC Sunday March 17 7 a.m. Breakfast - Dingman CW 9 a.m. Liturgy – Dingman CW (Liturgy contact: Madeleine Terry (515) 868-7765) 10 a.m. Make commitment to nonviolence, present action plan, write statement and proceed to nonviolent direct action planning - Dingman CW Noon Lunch 12: 30 p.m. Car pool to site RETREAT NOTES: HOUSING: Between the church and the DMCW houses there's lots of floor space for folks to occupy... The Church has no shower facilities and very limited toilet facilities. Showers will be available at the DMCW houses. Trinity UMC is 3 blocks north of the DMCW. All are welcome. NEED A BED? If you need a bed or have other needs beyond floor space, let us know! For more information and to RSVP (this is not mandatory but is very helpful!) contact Frank Cordaro, DMCW, frank.cordaro@gmail.com 515 490 2490 Jakob Whitson, DMCW, jakobwhitson@gmail.com 785 340 2458 Gilbert Landolt, DMCW & Pres. DM Vets For Peace, peacevet@hotmail.com 515 657 0354 Phil Berrigan CW House, 713 Indiana Ave. Des Moines IA 50305 ---- NONVIOLENCE STATEMENT for the March 15-17 Midwest CW and VFP Faith and Resistance Retreat and St Patrick's Day Witness CW'ers and VFP are committed to nonviolence and nonviolent action. All participants in events and protest hosted by the DMCW and the DM VFP March 15-17, 2019 are expected to share this commitment to nonviolence and nonviolent action. While nonviolence is defined in different ways by different people in different contexts, and while there exists the need to continue discussion and debate on how nonviolence and nonviolent action is conceived. The Midwest CW and VFP Faith and Resistance Retreat and St Patrick's Day Witness is adopting the following principles for March 15-17, 2019 We will act with love, openness, compassion, and respect toward all who we encounter and their surroundings. We will not be violent in our actions, words, or otherwise -toward any person or property. We will act fairly and honestly with people regardless of the situation or the role they play. We will remain calm and aware at all times. We will prepare ourselves before we act, and will recognize our opposition is to the US Military wars of empire and its weapons systems, not to individual members of the military, counter protesters, police and security people we may encounter. We will keep a clear state of mind, refraining from the use of drugs or alcohol, other than for medical purposes and we will not bring any illegal drugs or alcohol to the March 15-17 events. We will carry no weapons. We will seek dialogue with those who may disagree with us and maintain a spirit of openness, friendliness and respect towards all with whom we engage. We will gather and act in a manner that reflects the world we choose to create. *Statement adapted from 2014 St Pat's CW/VFP F&R Retreat DM IA Nonviolence Statement
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