Global Climate Strike September 20th in Strafford  Please let the children of Strafford know that you are standing with them to save their future by joining the world-wide strike on Friday, September 20th.

For specifics about Strafford’s activities see below, and for general information about the September 20th strike see these two sites: https://350.org/support-climate-strikes/ and https://globalclimatestrike.net/#join

and here is a recent article about the strikes by Bill McKibben, published originally in the Boston Globe: https://350.org/youth_to_adults_blog/

Please plan to stay home from work and avoid doing any business September 20th and join the activities in Strafford if you can.  You are invited to the town gathering on Route 132 in front of Barrett Hall from 7:30 to 9:30 AM on the 20th. Parking will be behind Barrett Hall.  Please spread the word and watch for announcements of more activities.  

Here are two related events:

Please join local Strafford artists making signs for the Climate Strike on Monday, September 16th at the Justin Morrill Homestead Education Center any time between 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM and join us for the final planning meeting there at 6:30.

And come to the Universalist Society of Strafford church on Friday evening, September 27th, for a Climate Crisis community concert and sing-in at 6:00 PM.

Sometimes people feel the climate crisis is too big for them to address beyond individual energy saving measures.  Sometimes we just want someone to tell us what to do to help make a difference on a global scale.  This historic action will be huge, and it is one thing to make sure you do!

The climate crisis makes every other issue far worse—refugees and immigration; racism and bigotry; economic injustice; violence and war; weakening democracy—so this strike is for everyone who cares about any of those issues.  Everyone!

We do not want anyone to suffer excessive hardship because of this strike, so if you have trouble paying a bill because you took time off to strike, please apply to the United Church of Strafford Deacons Fund which helps community members through hard times. 

Also, we especially do not want local businesses to be hurt—they help save an enormous amount of carbon pollution by cutting down on the driving we do around the Upper Valley, and they make Strafford a more resilient community able to withstand the kinds of strains a changing climate could bring upon us.  Please support local businesses as much as you can!

If you have a “no strike” clause in your contract, please note that this is not that kind of strike! Mass strikes have been an extremely effective part of many successful nonviolent movements—they are a democratic method for people to show their will when government or corporations are not listening. Taking a day off to participate in this kind of demonstration is like taking a day off to do community service work or jury duty, as opposed to going out on strike as a way to bargain for a better contract.

Studies show that when 3.5% of a population becomes active in a nonviolent campaign it becomes invincible.  It does not sound like many people, but in the United States it would be 11 million, so we need you to participate now!  Please join us on the 20th!

For more information, email us at unitedchurchofstrafford@gmail.com.  Thank you so much for supporting our children and their world in this way!