It’s such a pleasure to work with the wonderful members and volunteers who make PJALS a strong and effective organization. Thank you for your donations, your time, and your belief that we can act together to shift the balance of power toward economic justice, human rights, and peace.
Click here to read about our inspiring accomplishments together in 2011!
Will you support our work together with year-end gift to PJALS? It’s easy to donate at www.pjals.org/contribute. With our lean and efficient budget, every gift at every level is important!
If you become a “sustaining member” by pledging a monthly gift to PJALS by the end of December, we’ll send you a PJALS t-shirt in recognition of your support.
When I look back at all the things PJALS members like you have made happen in 2011, I am truly amazed and impressed—and I feel so lucky to be part of such a wonderful community of people, who practice the art of putting our values into action together. I hope you’ll be part of our work in 2012 and beyond!
Shar and I talk with each other about how incredibly lucky and honored we feel to be able to work for an organization supported by and made up of such a wonderful bunch of creative, committed, passionate people! I want to share with you some of my favorite memories from our work together this year, and I’d love to know yours.
- Sending caravans of everyday people to Olympia in April and in November to advocate face-to-face with legislators, to urge them to stop the cuts to education, healthcare, and lifeline programs for struggling families and to close corporate and luxury tax loopholes to halt the waves and waves of damaging cuts in our state!
- Doubling our staff –from one to two—because of the inspiring passion and commitment of members like you who donated at our Auction, at our Rooftop Party, through the mail, and online. I’m so happy to be working with Shar Lichty as our Organizer!
- Gathering with you for our Peace and Economic Justice Action Conference, for three meetings with legislators, to expand our campaign to Bring Our Billion$ Home, for potlucks, for our picnic and talent show (talent optional!) this summer, for our annual membership meeting this fall, for committee meetings, and all the times in between.
- Marching, chanting and singing with members like you as we mobilized with Occupy Spokane, as we marked 10 years of war and occupation in Afghanistan, as we came together for a teach-in on US intervention in Libya, as we testified in front of Rep. McMorris Rodgers’ office, as we confronted the corporate greed of Chase Bank in our own community, and as we caroled for economic justice around the towering tree in RiverPark Square.
- Working with 10 accomplished and amazing young activists, already leaders in their own right, who have joined our re-launched youth program. It is truly an honor to be offering them tools and strategies to push and organize for change!
Some common threads shine brightly in these experiences for me:
… unity around our shared values, shared righteous anger stirred up by the outrages being visited upon real human beings, and shared determination to do our part to lift up human rights, economic justice, and peace as organizing principles of our communities, country, and world.
… strong hope, because we have concrete and specific strategies to create change, based on what we know has worked in other communities and other times.
…urgency, because the problems our communities face mean we won’t wait til someday; we’ll get up off the couch and act together NOW.
… proof that we can make a difference together. Your action plus my action plus her action plus his action—that’s how a movement is built, that’s what a campaign requires, that is what democracy looks like!
As we look ahead to 2012, some things are certain: We will continue to thrive together in our work for human rights, economic justice, and peace. We will continue to learn, to mobilize, and to build strong relationships.
Thank you for being part of our work together in 2011.
As we go forward together, will you give a year-end gift of $50, $100, or whatever you can afford? Or, will you become a “sustaining member” by pledging a monthly gift to PJALS?
Just click on www.pjals.org/contribute.
In solidarity,
Liz Moore, PJALS Director