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IRTF Events Calendar

March 22, 2025: 2025 Liberation Lab: Chaos or Community
11am – 4pm
Cleveland State University College of Law Second Floor Atrium 1801 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115

IRTF initiated our annual Social Justice Teach-In (aka Liberation Lab) in 1999. This spring, in particular, we feel a great need to call together justice-minded folks who are committed to human rights, liberation, and respect and dignity for all people.

Every year for the past 25 years, this event has been an informative and inter-generational day of community building and education for high school and college students and other community members seeking ways to take positive action for social justice

This year we will have panels on:
- Choosing Liberation over Nationalism
- Embodied Sanctuary
- Wisdom from the Future: Lessons from Student Organizers
 
The ticket price also includes a delicious lunch
 
 
 

 

2025 Liberation Lab: Chaos or Community

 SAT, MAR 22 2024, 11am–4pm

 Cleveland State University College of Law

1801 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115

 

Info and registration: tinyrurl.com/irtf25lab

The InterReligious Task Force on Central America (irtfcleveland.org) is pleased to announce that this year’s Liberation Lab (aka Social Justice Teach-In) will be held at the Cleveland State University College of Law with a day of plenaries and skill shares hosted by IRTF and CPAC (Cleveland Palestine Advocacy Community).  Each year for the past 25 years, this event has been an informative and educational teach-in for northeast Ohio’s students and community members, thanks to the generosity of our event co-sponsors. (Many thanks to the organizations and individuals listed below.)

LOCATION

Cleveland State University College of Law

1801 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115

 

SCHEDULE and PANELS

11am….check-in and welcome

11:30….Choosing Liberation over Nationalism

1:00……Embodied Sanctuary

2:30……Wisdom from the Future: Student Organizers

 

SKILLS TRAINING (runs simultaneously 1:00-2:15pm)

De-escalation training

This 75-minute session will train community members in how to de-escalate conflicts they face in the community and as they stand in solidarity with others. Participants will learn specific techniques to use and will practice these techniques in role plays based on real life situations. Presenter: Cleveland Mediation Center

 

SKILLS TRAININGS (run simultaneously 2:30-3:30)

Know Your Rights

Educating people who attend direct actions about their legal rights to protest and the limits of those rights so that they may make educated decisions about when and how to exercise those rights. Covering issues around planning a protest, preparing for a protest, and attending a protest.

 

Legal Observer training

National Lawyers Guild (NLG) Legal Observers (LOs) document police misconduct and First Amendment violations at protests and direct actions. LOs are not part of the demonstration. LOs observe and document interactions between law enforcement and demonstrators in anticipation of future civil or criminal litigation under the direction of NLG attorneys. NLG Legal Observers do not negotiate with law enforcement, provide legal advice, or serve as peace marshals. Though NLG Legal Observers are typically law students, legal workers, and lawyers, trainings are open to everyone—EXCEPT those working for or with government or law enforcement agencies. Legal Observer trainings are also closed to the media. Presenter: Cleveland State University College of Law NLG.

 

PANEL DESCRIPTIONS

Choosing Liberation over Nationalism

In our current national struggle, we seek to uproot the root of religious nationalism.

What are appropriate ways to bring our faith into our activism?

We can look to many historical examples, from the role of Liberation Theology in Latin America to Mohandas Gandhi in the liberation of India. Christians and Jews are calling for an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories and the liberation of the Palestinian people.

Panelists will present historical contexts to better understand current political events. They will reflect on their own experiences.

Presenters:  Akshai Singh (Hindu nationalism), Sara Fadlalla (Cleveland Palestine Advocacy Community and Cleveland Sudan Network), Tommy Airey (former evangelical Christian now committed to radical discipleship), Rev. Reegie Bunch (Senior Pastor of Fifth Christian Church), Mara Layne (Jewish Voice for Peace).

 

Embodied Sanctuary

What does sanctuary mean to you? How do we create a sanctuary for ourselves to stay grounded, sustained, nourished and rested as our most authentic and beautiful self? What does it mean to embody the work of liberation? How can that help us be sanctuary people for one another?

When we say: “We keep each other safe,” or “We take care of ourselves,” what does that mean? How does that become tangible?

How do we assess our risks AND continue to take brave and courageous actions? What does this mean individually and as a collective of interdependent beings?

What would it mean to rid the self of the need to dominate, “be right,” or “to win”?

How are we meeting this moment and refusing to allow each other to go uncared for in the face of these death machines?

What is our relationship to land/reparations? How does this relate to our bodily autonomy?

Presenters: Paul Edward Montgomery Ramirez (Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance), Dara Adkison (TransOhio), Suncere Shakur (Mutual Aid Disaster Relief), Tori Hamilton (immigration attorney)

 

Wisdom from the Future: Lessons from Student Organizers

How are today’s students making the interconnections of struggles? What organizing tactics are students using today? What new things are being brought to the movement? What concrete obstacles do they face at their institutions? What repressive experiences are they having? How are they transforming this trauma? Is there any silver lining to the repression and oppression they are experiencing? How can community residents become better allies?

Presenters: to be announced

 

LUNCH (included with registration fee): vegetarian and vegan

RESOURCE TABLES

FAIR TRADE SALES support collectively-owned and democratically-managed cooperatives in Latin America, providing vital income to artisan and farming families.

 

This event is made possible by our Co-Sponsors (list in formation):

Brian Fry (on behalf of Eyewitness Palestine)

Church of the Resurrection

Cleveland Jobs with Justice

Cleveland Owns

Cleveland Peace Action

Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance

Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus

Denver Justice & Peace Committee

Equal Exchange

Fellowship of Reconciliation 

Friends of Nickie J. Antonio

Ida B. Wells Foundation 

Margaret W. Wong & Associates

Michael Melampy 

Northeast Ohio Sierra Club

Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood

Rachel and Peter DeGolia 

Sisters of the Humility of Mary

St Dominic Church

West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church-Social Action Committee

 

March 24, 2025 to May 4, 2025: War and the Environment: One Course to Address Two Existential Threats
online

“Climate change is the defining issue of our time and now is the defining moment to do something about it.” (António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations).

War and the Environment is a six-week online course that features six core modules, three interactive Zoom sessions, and a strong emphasis on reflective practice, collaborative learning, and community building throughout. As the world races to prevent climate collapse, finding solutions to today’s unprecedented socio-ecological challenges has never been more urgent. While discussions on climate change continue, it is crucial to address the elephant in the room—war. The call to end war is not just about peace and security: it is essential for the survival and flourishing of humanity and the planet.

As wars, preparations for wars, and environmental destruction escalate—and much of the focus remains on human conflict—it is vital to better understand and respond to the far-reaching impacts of war and militarism on people, all living beings, and the planet. This course empowers you to do just that. By doing so, it also addresses a question of central importance to everyone—how can we live together in more sustainable and peaceful ways? This is the most pressing challenge of our time; everything else is secondary.

Format: Online Course
Start Date: Monday, March 24, 2025
Duration: 6 Weeks
Time Commitment: 3 to 6 hours per week
Cost: On a sliding scale from $25 to $100 or more if you can afford it

more information and registration option here: https://worldbeyondwar.org/war-and-the-environment-an-online-course/?link_id=8&can_id=540e92ff874a6b94a0ca720db2a7dff1&source=email-new-course-alert-media-and-communications-for-peace-register-now-5&email_referrer=email_2621983&email_subject=_-war-and-the-environment-one-course-to-address-two-existential-threats-_

March 28, 2025: Northeast Ohio Worker Center annual fundraiser: Bread + Roses Variety Show
7pm
The Elliot 1415 Kenilworth Ave Cleveland, OH 44113

Show your support for fair work in Northeast Ohio an attend the annual fundraiser of the Northeast Ohio Worker Center!

Get to know them and learn more about their imporant work. Join them at The Elliot, to enjoy a variety show featuring local talent, a silent auction and drinks available for purchase. 

By attending the event you will be helping to raise funds for the Northeast Ohio Worker Center. The dollars raised for this event will help to pay for things like staff time to conduct wage theft intakes, connect workers to agencies and legal services so that they can get the money they are owed, and conduct community outreach.

Get your Tickets here: https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/neowc-2025-bread-and-roses-variety-show-fundraiser/

April 5, 2025: A Community Forum: Honoring The Life and Work of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
10am-1pm
North Church Presbyterian, 4501 Superior Avenue, Cleveland

Join Racial Equity Buddies for a powerful community gathering honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through music, discussion, and action. The program includes live gospel music, a panel on Dr. King’s unfinished work, interactive breakout sessions, and a closing drum circle to inspire collective action. A continental breakfast will be served from 10 - 10:30 AM as part of the program.

Register here: https://sites.google.com/view/racialequitybuddiesofgreatercl/home

April 16, 2025 to May 7, 2025: Equal Exchange Book Club!
online

Equal Exchange invites you to their Book Club Meet-ups:

Join us for an engaging discussion of the Coffee Barons chapter from Austin Frerick’s book, where we will explore the impact of multinational corporations on the global coffee industry. In this session, we’ll dive into how these powerful “coffee barons” manipulate prices, exploit farmers, and perpetuate inequality within the coffee supply chain. 
 
As an independent coffee company, Equal Exchange stands in stark contrast to these monopolistic systems. Together, we’ll reflect on the ways Frerick’s analysis of the coffee industry relates to our mission to create more equitable, sustainable, and fair trade practices. We’ll think through how Equal Exchange’s model—focused on direct relationships with farmers, cooperatives, and ethical sourcing—challenges these corporate giants and promotes a more just food system. This will be an opportunity for us to connect, learn, and discuss how we can continue to support positive change in the coffee industry. We look forward to your insights and hope to see you there!