Drumlins Country Club, 800 Nottingham Road, Syracuse, NY, from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

April 25, 2017

We invite you to join us at the 2017 ACTS Spring Banquet. Together we will reinvigorate the fight for social justice. In last week’s issue ​​​​​​​of the newsletter, we provided an insightful interview with our Keynote Speaker, Kathryn Howe Ruscitto. This week, we asked Simangaliso Smith a few questions about her final ACTS Spring Banquet. "Liso," as many in the ACTS Community know her, is our Office Manager and one of the chief organizers of the banquet. Click below to read our short Q&A with Liso. 

Franklin Square Park at from 11am-2pm. Address: Solar St. and Plum St., Syracuse, NY 13204

April 29, 2017

"For human beings...to destroy the biological diversity of God's Creation; for human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by causing change in its climate, by stripping the earth of its natural forests or destroying its wetlands; for human beings to contaminate the earth's waters, its lands, its air, and its life--these are sins," wrote Pope Francis in his 181-page encyclical in 2015 as he urged the world to cut back on fossil fuels.

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The Climate Change Awareness and Action organization will echo this conviction with hundreds of other activists in Syracuse. The "People's Climate March of CNY" will coincide with protests across the nation, including in Washington D.C., aimed at denouncing the environmental agenda of the new federal administration. The new administation denies the dangers of Climate Change, a phenomenon with unanimous consensus from over 2,500 scientists from across 130 nations. This consensus points to the disastrous effects of Climate Change on our planet, and requires all those with moral aversions to poverty to halt it. 

Aired: 04/17/17---Duration: 1:54:46---Rating: NR

Mike Hungerford is a leader in the ACTS Community, and one of the former Co-Chairs of the Criminal Justice Task Force. Over the weekend, he highlighted a PBS documentary about the issue of Solitary Confinement that still grips our nation. The documentary is produced by the PBS FRONTLINE team, who have also filmed documentaries in war-torn Syria. It is critical that social justice advocates be well informed on the issues they strive to influence. Therefore, it is recommended the ACTS Community take just a couple of hours to witness this abhorrent breach of justice. To watch the documentary, click here. To view the full article with background on Solitary Confinement as provided by ACTS, click below.

​​​​​​​Unemployment is one of Syracuse's most difficult challenges. It is also one that affects youth just as adversely as adults. In fact, only 55% of working age people in Syracuse have jobs. However, the Community Violence & Youth Task Force has been notified of an opportunity to put our youth back to work! The Onondaga Earth Corps is hiring youth for a variety of positions. Feel free to pass this along and help someone get employment, and hopefully, out of poverty. Click below to view the application page.