From Policy to Action:
Join the Conversation in Whatley

The Whately Civic Association was founded by local residents to address federal policies that are having deleterious impacts on various segments of our population. We are producing a series of presentations by prominent area experts on major policy initiatives including the threat to the Constitution, reproductive and women’s rights, climate change, media, health, housing, seniors, monetary/fiscal policy, inequality—to name a few. Presenters currently include Bill Newman, Carrie Baker, James Boyce, Nancy Folbre, and Sam Bowles. The list is growing; the series is expected to go into next year. The emphasis will be on critical and constructive approaches to the civic, economic, political and personal crises we find ourselves facing and which are becoming increasing acute with every passing day.

Who We Are

Featured Event:
Attorney Bill Newman on the State of Our Democracy

Monday, September 29th, at 7:30 p.m., at Whately Town Hall Auditorium, Attorney Bill Newman will address the crisis our country currently faces and what we can do to restore and keep our republic. Newman is the first speaker in the Whately Civic Association’s series addressing the profound transformation of our Federal government currently underway.

According to Newman, “We should stop mincing words: Democracy in the United States today faces an existential crisis. Masked unidentifiable government agents are capturing people on the street and disappearing them. Election results, through gerrymandering and the kneecapping of the Voting Rights Act, may be predetermined. The government is rewriting history and is taking over educational systems and universities. The Congress is forfeiting its powers."

Newman is a Northampton-based civil rights and civil liberties attorney, a partner at Lesser Newman Aleo & Nasser, a co-host of Talk the Talk on WHMP, a regular columnist for the Daily Hampshire Gazette and the Greenfield Recorder and the author and voice of the Civil Liberties Minute® podcast.

The Whately Civic Association is a recently formed group of residents who are concerned about the future of our democracy. The Association is hosting this series to give local residents a better understanding of the Trump administrations actions and policies, and how they will affect our community and our country now and in the future...and what we can do about it. Each program will feature a speaker on a relevant topic followed by discussion.

The talks are free and open to the public.

Upcoming events

  • Stand Up, Fight Back

    September 29 @ 7:30 pm

    Featuring guest speaker with Bill Newman

    Monday Bill Newman will address the crisis our country currently faces and what we can do to restore and keep our republic.  Democracy in the United States today faces grave risks. Masked unidentifiable government agents are capturing people on the street and disappearing them. Election results, through gerrymandering and the kneecapping of the Voting Rights Act, may be predetermined. The government is rewriting history and is taking over educational systems and universities. The Congress is forfeiting its powers. This list goes on and on.

    This is the time for we the people to summons our collective will and power to stand up and fight for our rights. Mr Newman will share his perspective on how we can.

    RSVP

  • Democracy at the Crossroads

    October 13

    Featuring guest speakers Sam Bowles and Katrin Schmelz

    Katrin is trained both as a psychologist and an economist. Her passion about the topic starts with being brought up under Communism in East Germany. Both scholars at the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico. Katrin is also a professor at the Technical University of Denmark. 

    Sam and Katrin will describe the triumph of democracy over the last century and its recent retreat around the globe. They will focus on the citizens’ values that democracy must promote in order to survive, and how a renewed expansion and deepening of democracy might be brought about by changes in our economy.

    RSVP

  • Erosion of Women's Rights Under Trump

    October 21

    Featuring guest speaker Carrie Baker

    The Trump administration has aggressively reversed women's rights developed over the last 60 years across a wide range of areas, including healthcare, education, employment, gender-based violence, asylum rights and more. This talk will review explain these attacks and how women's rights groups are resisting them--in the courts, legislatures and in the streets.

    Carrie Baker is Professor and Chair, Program for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality

    RSVP

  • Extreme Weather Defense for the People

    November 12

    Featuring guest speaker James K Boyce

    How can we defend households and communities against the impacts of extreme weather events, in ways that strengthen their well-being economically as well as environmentally?  goes here

    RSVP

We’re working together to understand
and respond to the challenges we face.

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