Category: Civil Rights - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

What You Can Do Now - Attend Caucus Training!

11/1/2019

How Are Caucuses Conducted? - Thursday, November 7th at 6:00 pm

Davenport Public Library, Fairmount Branch
3000 N Fairmount ST
Davenport, IA 52804 (map)

PACG, Quad Cities Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees (QCAIR), the AAUW and the Davenport Public Library

PACG, QCAIR, Inc., the American Association of University Women, and the Davenport Public Library are hosting Caucus Training on Thursday, November 7th, at the Fairmount Branch, Davenport Public Library. The training will begin at 6:00 pm and is open to all.

Did you know that the Democratic and Republican caucuses, while similar, are conducted differently? Many people have no idea how the caucuses are conducted or how they should go about supporting their respective candidates. You are invited to come learn about the caucus process and how they operate. After a brief explanation of the rules and process for the Democratic and Republican caucuses, attendees will be participating in a mock caucus; however, real candidates will not be used. Learn how to caucus by participating in our mock caucus!

Susan Leuthauser

What You Can Do Now - Contact Your Legislators in Support of the Kurds

10/31/2019

Contact Your Representatives to Tell Them to Support the Kurdish People

A Message to Our Members

PACG supports the Kurdish people in Syria during these difficult times (Please read our recent Blog Post - Prayer and Reflection Vigil: Standing with the Kurds in Crisis).

Whether or not you are able to attend the Vigil, we encourage you to contact your Members of Congress to express your support for these people. You can find your national legislators on our website under our Action Center tab.

Calling is easy and just takes a few minutes. You will need to state your name and address if you speak to a staffer or for the recorded message you leave. Stay on point and be polite. You can use the script below to make it easy.

If you would like to write to your legislators, the following statement is simple and straightforward. We have also attached it as a download in two forms so that you can print it, put your address and the date at the top, sign the letter and mail it.

Here's what we suggest, but feel free to make any changes you'd like:

Your Address
the Date

Dear

I am one of your constituents who votes, and I would like to express my concern about the situation in Northern Syria involving the treatment of the Kurdish people.
I encourage you to exercise the power of your office to preserve our nation’s partnership with the Kurdish people, particularly in keeping with our tradition of standing with our allies and providing protection for the victims of persecution, wherever they may live. I believe in the humanitarian values that have been the hallmarks of America and expect my elected officials to represent these values.

Please support the Kurds.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Name

support_the_kurds_letter.pdf
File Size:	30 kb
File Type:	pdf

support_the_kurds_letter.docx
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File Type:	docx

What You Can Do Now - Standing With the Kurds Vigil

10/31/2019

A Prayer And Reflection Vigil:
Standing With The Kurds In Crisis
Sunday, November 3, at 3:00 pm

St. Peter's Episcopal Church
2400 Middle Road, Bettendorf, Iowa (map)

Join us for A Prayer And Reflection Vigil: Standing With The Kurds In Crisis

We stand in solidarity with the Kurdish people as they have become the victims of an attempted genocide.

We call upon our government to honor its alliance with the Kurds, defend them in the time of need, and demonstrate the humanitarian values which are the hallmarks of America!

Please download, share and post the flyer below to help us spread the word.

Sponsoring Organizations:

Diocese of Davenport, Progressive Action for the Common Good, Quad Cities Interfaith, QCAIR, One Human Family QCA

kurdish_vigil_flyer.pdf
File Size:	414 kb
File Type:	pdf

kurdish_vigil_flyer.docx
File Size:	387 kb
File Type:	docx

The Lane Evans Forum: Putting People First - Saturday October 19th at 1 pm

10/9/2019

Election 2020: Putting People First -
Saturday, October 19th at 1pm

Augustana College
Denkman Building
Wallenberg Hall
3520 7th AV
Rock Island, IL 61201 (map)

The Lane Evans Forum

Celebrating the memory and progressive populist legacy of the late Congressman Lane Evans (D-17 Congressional District of Illinois).

Hear and share ideas, messages and principles that will earn votes and support.

Learn how you can be a catalyst for change.

Join us for a dynamic conversation!

Featuring special guests:

Representative Jan Shakowsky (D-CD 9 IL)
Fred Harris, Former Senator (D-OK) and former Presidential Candidate
Jim Hightower, America's #1 Populist
Thomas Frank, Best-Selling Author of "What's The Matter With Kansas?"

RSVP online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-lane-evans-forum-tickets-73484073843

PACG Book Club for October - December of 2019 and January - March of 2020

9/8/2019

PACG Book Club Selections for October of 2019 - March of 2020

The PACG Book Club will continue this year with our theme of racial justice. Our book discussions are held on the first Saturday of the month at 10:30 am at the Davenport Main Public Library, 321 N Main St, Davenport (map). We meet in the small community meeting room on level LL, unless noted otherwise. Everyone is welcome. Come even if you have not read the book. Contact Alta Price if you have questions.

The following are our selections for the next six months. Some of the later ones may change, so check back here as it gets closer to March.

October - Thursday, October 10th at 6 pm, UUCQC (map) Board Room
We are not meeting in October. The PACG Book Club invites everyone to join the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities (UUCQC) for discussion of White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. We will discuss the book at our November book discussion.

November - Saturday, November 2nd at 10:30 am - White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

December - Saturday, December 7th at 10:30 am - Honky by Dalton Conley
(Note: You can pick up a copy of Underground Railroad from Alta at the December book discussion or at the Holiday Party.)

January - Saturday, January 4th at 10:30 am - Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
(Note: Return your library copy of the book to Alta at the meeting.)

February - Saturday, February 1st at 10:30 am - The Souls of Black Folks by W.E.B. Du Bois (or anything by W.E.B. Du Bois)

March - Saturday, March 7th at 10:30 am - They Can't Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery

Are You Registered to Vote?

9/4/2019

Are You Registered to Vote?

PACG Message to Our Membership

Are you Registered to Vote?

Check here:

Iowa Residents: sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/regtovote/
- If you’re not, go to www.scottcountyiowa.com/auditor/voter-registration for Scott County Voter Registration information.

Illinois Residents: ova.elections.il.gov/RegistrationLookup
- If you’re not, go to www.rockislandcounty.org/VoterRegistration/ for Rock Island County Voter Registration information

After Action Report - Civil Rights Forum Met with Rita Hart

8/27/2019

After Action Report - Crisis at the Border Visit with Rita Hart -
Monday, August 19th at 6:00 pm

Civil Rights

The PACG Civil Rights Forum organized a visit with Rita Hart, who is running in the Democratic primary for the Congressional seat of retiring Congressman, Dave Loebsack. Immigration activists from the many organizations in the Quad Cities working on immigration issues met with Ms. Hart to deliver our message, beginning with: "Children do not belong in detention." At the PACG Blog you can read our complete "ask" and some proposed legislation.

We are trying to set up similar meetings with Republican candidate, Bobby Shilling, and Democratic candidate, Newman Abuissa. We will also visit with other candidates or elected officials in both Iowa and Illinois. Contact Alta if you want to participate.

Alta Price

The Crisis at the Border: Principles and Proposed Legislation

8/22/2019

The Crisis at the Southern Border: Principles and
Proposed Legislation

Representatives from various organizations in the Quad Cities have been meeting to address immigration issues. Our organizations include Progressive Action for the Common Good (Civil Rights Forum), One Human Family (Immigration Task Force), Quad Cities Interfaith (Immigration Task Force), Quad Cities Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees (QCAIR), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and the Catholic Diocese of Davenport. Many of us are concerned about the humanitarian crisis at the border. We are opposed to locking up children and separating them from their adult family members.

Principles:

Although we may differ on the problems we address and our proposed solutions, we agree on the following principles regarding the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees who come across our southern border. We call upon all members of Congress and candidates for Congress to consider these principles when devising legislative approaches to fixing the humanitarian crisis at the southern border.

Children should not be locked up in detention centers.

Children should not be separated from their adult family members, or used as bait in immigration enforcement actions.

For-profit private prisons or detention centers should not be used to detain asylum seekers or refugees. Any immigrant in a detention facility should receive adequate food, water, medical care, soap, toothpaste, bedding and access to legal representation. They should be protected from sexual abuse.

Alternatives to incarceration should take priority for families and other asylum seekers who pose no risk to the community. Bring back and expand the Family Case Management Program started as a pilot program under the Obama administration.

Invest in infrastructure and develop new ways to streamline processing of asylum seekers and refugees. Follow international and U.S. laws on treatment of asylum seekers and refugees and ensure they are treated fairly and receive due process.

Provide aid to countries like Guatemala and Honduras to help them address the problems that cause their citizens to flee their homes.

Proposed legislation on the crisis at the southern border:

Immigration Court Improvement Act of 2019 - Would establish immigration judges as independent judges so that they are not under the Department of Justice, which prosecutes immigration cases. Read the details of the Act here.

Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2019 - Would require legal counsel for indigent asylum seekers, children, and other vulnerable groups who cannot afford a lawyer. Read the details of the Act here.

For further information:

National Immigration Forum: Working Paper: Addressing the Increase of Central American Migrants, updated May 2, 2019

Migration Policy Institute: Policy Solutions to Address Crisis at Border Exist, But Require Will and Staying Power to Execute, April 2019

Bipartisan Policy Center: Policy Proposals to Address the Central American Migration Challenge, July 26, 2019

Human Rights First: Testimony of Michael Breen, President and CEO, Human Rights First at the Hearing Entitled: “Kids in Cages: Inhumane Treatment at the Border” before the House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Note: There are many other pertinent articles at Human Rights First.

American Civil Liberties Union: Immigrants’ Rights and Detention

NPR: ACLU: Administration Is Still Separating Migrant Families Despite Court Order to Stop,
July 30, 2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: No End in Sight, October 3, 2018

WOLA: Beyond the Wall: A Campaign Defending Human Rights and Migrants in the Trump Era and Migration & Border Security

Note: There are many useful resources at WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America),
with up-to-date analyses of new Trump Administration policies. WOLA advocates for
human rights in the Americas.

Next Civil Rights Forum Meeting - July 21st at 3:00 pm

7/1/2019

Civil Rights Forum Monthly Meeting -
Sunday, July 21st at 3:00 pm

Greatest Grains
1600 N Harrison St, Davenport IA (map)

Civil Rights Forum

Notice the time change to 3 pm. Greatest Grains is closing an hour earlier.

Join us to hear what's happening in the Auto Theft Accountability Program, in Juvenile Justice, and on immigration.

Most of the time will be devoted to how we can use the Davenport DCAP (Davenport Citizens Advisory Panel) model to end racial profiling in Bettendorf. We particularly need Bettendorf residents to step up.

Learn more about statewide efforts to end racial profiling in this article from the Iowa ACLU. Notice that Davenport is singled out as a leader on this issue.

Alta Price

Lights for Liberty Vigil

7/1/2019

Lights for Liberty Vigil - Friday, July 12th at 7:00 pm

Mercado on 5th
5th Avenue and 12th Street, Moline, IL (map)

Civil Rights Forum

A national organization called “Lights for Liberty” is calling for communities around the country to join them in holding an event called: “Lights for Liberty: A Vigil to End Human Detention Camps”.

PACG is a co-sponsor of our local event which will be held at Mercado on 5th in Moline on July 12th from 7 - 9 pm. See the event Facebook page for more information: facebook.com/events.

Join us in delivering this very important message!

To find out more about the organization and their plans for this national vigil, you can go to their website - www.lightsforliberty.org

Allison Ambrose