We are pleased to announce our second Annual Membership Drive for the Chico Peace and Justice Center. We are hoping to build on the success of last year and get even more of our supporters to publicly declare their commitment to peace and justice.

There are several reasons for having a formal membership.  First of all, by quantifying our strength, we are better able to speak with our elected officials as representatives of the peace and justice community.  We can clearly state how many people we are speaking for while encouraging them to vote in a particular way.

Another more practical reason for having a membership program is to increase and stabilize our operating budget.  We recognize the beauty in an all-volunteer organization but the reality is that paid staff is critical in being an effective voice for change.  Every paid membership contributes to funding our small staff.

Finally, the CPJC Board of Directors has adopted two new campaigns that can only benefit from an increase in our budget.  The Beyond War Campaign (theme of this year’s annual dinner) and the Israel-Palestine Education Campaign will both further our mission of promoting peace and justice. (You will hear more about both of these campaigns in the upcoming months)

There are better ways to promote peace in the middle east.

by Sue Hilderbrand, Former CPJC Director

This article was published on in the Chico News and Review on March 31st, 2011.

No matter how it is rationalized by the Obama administration,the U.S. attack on Libya is immoral, unconstitutional and preposterously expensive. Regardless of arguments from war apologists, the political ends cannot justify the means.

The Chico Peace & Justice Center staff has been working closely with KZFR and other community organizations to bring StoryCorps to town.  StoryCorps is the national  organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. They are recording interviews in Chico from February 10-March 5 and will be recording in Oroville March 7-19 as part of their cross-country MobileBooth tour. StoryCorps' MobileBooth--an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio--will be parked at City Plaza in Chico and at the Municipal Building in Oroville.

CPJC Director, Sue Hilderbrand, says: "We especially value StoryCorps' goal of reaching out to communities and community members who do not usually have an opportunity to tell their stories. Listening to what people say is a route to social justice. StoryCorps enhances community radio at its best by reaching out to all community members."
 

StoryCorps’ MobileBooth interviews are conducted between two people who know and care about each other. A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides participants through the interview process. At the end of each 40-minute recording session, participants receive a complimentary CD copy of their interview. With participant permission, a second copy is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to hear.

On February 14, 2009, Chico became the 2nd Fair Trade Town in California and 10th in the nation! Then on August 10th, Chico Fair Trade Town Steering Committee became one of six Fair Trade cities to join the National Fair Trade Town Steering  Committee, which on the same day launched their brand new campaign that you can link to:www.fairtradetownsusa.org.
Becoming a Fair Trade Town required our City Council to pass a resolution in support of Fair Trade principles, businesses and organizatons to offer fair trade products, and local citizens pledging to use those products.

Another requirement is that we form a Steering Committee to continue educating our community and assist businesses in becoming a part of this fast growing movement.  The Steering Committee is open to anyone interested in educating and promoting the use of certified Fair Trade products.  If you are interested in getting involved with this work, send an email to our Volunteer Coordinator at activists@chico-peace.org.