Sunday, October 1
Washington, DC

Bearing Witness & Protecting Our Communities:
An Environmental Justice Forum

Support Members of the 47-City Environmental Justice For All Tour as They Culminate Their Tour in Washington, DC

Location: Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, 5301 North Capital St. NE, North Capital & Riggs Road

FOR INFORMATION CALL: 202-744-0184 or 202-723-5330

 
Worship Service
11 am to 1 pm

 
Reception and Fellowship
1:00 to 2:30 pm

 
Forum and Light Supper
3 to 5 pm

Forum Agenda

• Welcome and Blessing
  Host Minister offers welcoming remarks to the crowd
• A View from the Bus: EJ Tour Video
  Video spots from 2 locations per region to show the breadth of the environmental and health impact and the activism to address it.
• Reflection
  Reverend Anthony Evans reflects on the video & introduces next segment
• How Far Have We Come: Our mandate to protect God’s creation
  Carlos Correa remarks on progress since the first UCC Toxic Waste & Race Report
• Special Guest Introductions
  Jenice View introduces the evening’s activities & the speakers
• In the Shadow of the Oil Refineries: A Community’s Response
  Hilton Kelley, Community In-Power & Development Association on Shell Oil’s plan to build the nation’s largest refinery in Port Arthur, Texas and the community’s response to the projected pollution increase. Focus on benefits of regional and national allies.
• A False Choice: Jobs versus the Environment
  A perspective from Jose Bravo, Just Transition Alliance
• In Your Foot Steps? — Youth perspective
  What challenges do youth face in following elders into environmental justice work? What public health and environmental issues motivate young people to be active and what do they need to reach more of their peers?
• Taking Power: Local, State and Federal Solutions
  Monique Harden, Advocates for Environmental Human Rights
• Q & A
• Honoring the Work: Wrap Up & Next Actions
  Final thoughts from Jenice and panel to bring it all the way around to our main theme
• Closing and Blessing
  Host Minister offers closing remarks to the crowd

Main Themes

• Bearing witness & practicing stewardship
  Tour as a metaphor for moving forward: Sometime you have to go community to community to bear witness to the impact, the struggle, the spirit and the success at our fingertips. You have to ensure there is a place for everyone who wants to be involved and that those involved, however different one from the next, will be honored for their insight, their skills, their vision and their struggle. This is what achieves change.
• Demanding government and corporate accountability
• Ensuring public participation, especially with the elections just ahead of us
  People should vote and vote for candidates that clearly support their issues of concern as they relate to environmental justice.

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