Calendar

IRTFDonate – use this code and Equal Exchange donates 10% of your purchase to IRTF

We’re excited to announce that Equal Exchange will be donating a portion of their sales to IRTF when you shop their online store. 

To shop Equal Exchange click here. Find organic and fairly traded coffees, teas, chocolate, cocoa, nuts, dried fruits, and even olive oil—all from small farmer co-ops, available by the case for stocking up.

Promo code:  IRTFDonate . Enter this code when you check out and Equal Exchange will donate 10% of your purchase back to IRTF!

Equal Exchange was founded as a solidarity organization in 1986 to support small farmers in Nicaragua by importing their coffee despite the US embargo.  Forty years later, this worker-owned co-op continues to prove that a more democratic food system is possible.

To shop Equal Exchange click here

"Protecting People, Peace and Planet"

In 2026, our nation faces massive upheaval and multiple crises. But as Christians, we remain hopeful as we persevere in the midst of fear and uncertainty. We remain true to the gospel, true to Jesus’s call to love our neighbor as ourselves. Given the many challenges we face, it is critical that people of faith come to Washington D.C. to raise our voices. Psalm 24 declares that “the Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it”. This Psalm reminds us that we are bound to one another in responsibility, and can only be human together.

Join us in Washington D.C., April 20–22, 2026, as we draw on our shared faith traditions to inspire one another, and call on Congress to commit to Protecting People, Peace, and Planet! Through worship, workshops, solidarity and Congressional visits, we will bring together a diverse group of Christians to remind Congress of our shared responsibility to care for all that belongs to God. Register today.

to register click here

How can members of a community take back control of the resources that shape their lives? Join us on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 7:00-8:30pm ET, for a free webinar with co-op developer and community organizer Jonathan Welle to explore this question. Jonathan will share stories and lessons from Cleveland Owns, the economic democracy incubator he co-founded that enables neighbors to build cooperative businesses and organize campaigns for community control of land, energy, and other vital resources in Cleveland, Ohio. Participants will hear concrete examples of co-ops building working class power, and will be invited to connect the idea of economic democracy to the struggles and hopes in their own communities. This conversation is especially for people who believe another economy is possible and want tools and inspiration to help build it.

This 90-minute webinar is free, but registration is required.

to register click here

Program:

6:30pm - Board elections and a tribute to Women Speak Out for peace and Justice 

7:15pm - Tom Neilson in Concert 

Fair Trade Festival at Gesu.

The public is invited to attend Church of the Gesu’s annual Fair Trade Festival!  In McAuley Hall (basement of the church building; accessible) after all Masses the weekend of April 25-26. Support alternative trade organizations. Do your Mother’s Day shopping with vendors like Revy Fair Trade Products, Shema Store, InterReligious Task Force on Central America, Santa Rosa Stitches, The HOPE Collection by INTO, Holy Land Shepherds, and JCU Fair Trade. Refreshments will be served after Saturday Mass and donuts will be served after Sunday Masses. Come and plan to make a simple purchase to change lives!

Hours:

SAT APR 25 2026

4-6pm (before and after the 4:30pm worship service)

SUN APR 26 2026

7:30am-1pm (before and after the worship services at 8am,  10am and 11:30am)

Location: Church of the Gesu, 2470 Miramar Blvd, University Heights 44118 (across from John Carroll University)

IRTF is grateful to our volunteers who staff our tables to educate the public about crucial human rights issues facing communities in Central America and Colombia and sell artisan fair trade handiworks to raise vital income for their families!

Volunteers can sign up for a shift here https://signup.com/go/AMNsFch or email volunteer@irtfcleveland.org.

source: MayDayCoalition Cleveland

May Day March 2026

Workers Over Billionaires! MAY DAY. Together We Stand. 

March for workers’ rights!

Stand up against ICE!

Friday, May 1, 4-6pm

Gather at Public Square (southwest quadrant in front of Terminal Tower)

Organizer: May Day Coalition-Cleveland. 

Link to the event here: https://www.mobilize.us/mayday/event/921516/

May Day March 2026

March for workers’ rights!

Stand up against ICE!

Friday, May 1, 4-6pm

Gather at Public Square (southwest quadrant in front of Terminal Tower)

Organizer: May Day Coalition-Cleveland. https://maydaycoalitionproject.substack.com/about

Friday, May 1, 4-6pm. March for workers’ rights! Stand up against ICE! Gather at Public Square (southwest quadrant in front of Terminal Tower). Organizer: May Day Coalition-Cleveland. 

May Day 2026 marks the 107th anniversary of what became known as the “Cleveland May  Day Riots.” The only “rioting,” however, was by the police and vigilantes targeting “reds” (anyone who supported workers’ rights or criticized political bosses). A series of violent attacks on marchers began about a half mile from Public Square, after a contingent left the Socialist Party’s downtown headquarters. By the end of the day, 200 people were injured, including two fatally. The 1919 Cleveland May Day demonstration, drawing 30,000 people, was one of the largest in the country and, at that time, the largest protest in the city’s history. It remains an important chapter in Cleveland labor history.

Jump to 2026. Today billionaires have taken over the federal government, gutted public services and used those funds to fill their bank accounts and fund a private army that is kidnapping and killing our neighbors. 

Our military is bombing girls’ schools in Iran while our education system is under attack, workers’ rights are being trampled upon, immigrant workers and unhoused neighbors are being targeted, artificial intelligence is not only ravaging the environment, but stealing the labor of artists and experts while perpetually surveilling us all.

In these turbulent times it is more important than ever to form broad-based coalitions to confront the ever-encroaching fascism and push forward a positive agenda for workers of all types and stripes. We are doing that right here in Cleveland.

This May Day (International Workers’ Day) we say

NO to war in Iran,

NO to genocide in Palestine ,

NO to ICE occupation,

NO to Epstein class impunity and

NO to fascism.

We say YES to human rights, workers’ rights, and renters’ rights.

We say YES to funding education, food sovereignty, housing and healthcare.

We say YES to the democratic control of the profits of our labor.

We say YES to our future.

One way we do this is by withdrawing our labor from the market and placing it in community.

That’s why on May 1, thousands of organizations across this country have called for a day of no work, no school, and no shopping. To stop a takeover of our democracy by the very rich, we will take action together to demand a government that puts our families over their fortunes.

We know that there are too many without the freedom to exercise these actions safely and securely yet, and that’s why we organize from now until we get there.

Solidarity Over Everything

#maydaystrong

Organized by the Cleveland May Day Coalition. Members and endorsers include:

Black Lives Matter – Cleveland

Cleveland Heights 4 Immigrant Rights

Cleveland Jobs with Justice

Cleveland Owns

Cleveland Peace Action

Cleveland United Against War

Clevelanders for Public Transit

CPUSA: Communist Party USA - Cleveland

Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus

DSA: Democratic Socialists of America - Cleveland

FRSO: Freedom Road Socialist Organization - Cleveland

Indivisble NEO

InterReligious Task Force on Central America & Colombia

Jewish Voice for Peace - Cleveland

Kinnect United

NEOCH: Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless

Northeast Ohio Community Resilience Centre

Northeast Ohio Worker Center

NWU: National Workers Union

Ohio Poor People’s Campaign

Ohio Working Families Party

OPAWL: Building AAPI Feminist Leadership

Palestinian Youth Movement

REACH: Responding with Empathy, Access, and Community Healing

Showing Up for Racial Justice NEO

Starbucks Cleveland Workers United

Workers World/Mundo Obrero

essed Trinity Catholic Church invites Greater Clevelanders to join them on a day trip to Oberlin, OH, to explore the abolitionist history of the town.

Oberlin played an important role in the abolitionist movement, serving as one of the most important abolitionist communities in the United States and a key site of the Underground Railroad. Oberlin was home to courageous Christians who risked their lives and freedom to oppose slavery. Together we will explore this powerful history through a guided tour, walking pilgrimage, prayer, and fellowship.

Trip includes:

• Guided tour of the Oberlin Heritage Center  

• Abolitionist history walking tour  

• Prayer and reflection in Tappan Square  

• Lunch and group dinner in Oberlin

Date: Saturday, May 2 2026

8am departure from Blessed Trinity (Cleveland’s Bellaire-Puritas neighborhood)

8:30pm: return to Cleveland

Estimated cost: $50–75 per person.  Sponsors are welcome to make donations to defray the cost for those who find it unaffordable.  

All are welcome and do not have to belong to the parish to join us. To register or learn more, please contact me, Briyant Hines <bhines@blessedtrinitycleveland.org>, pastoral assistant at Blessed Trinity Church, a Catholic community committed to faith, justice, and nonviolent discipleship.

Celebrate 7 years of Cleveland Owns at our Annual Celebration: Growing the Fruits of our Labor!

We'll share some big updates, announce the 2026 Cleveland Owns Cooperator of the Year, have games, including a get to know you bingo, music and all the brunch vibes with plenty of vegan options. Latecomers and early-goers welcome!! RSVP above!

Here's a tentative run of show. Speakers and music to be confirmed.

11AM to 12PM - Trickle in, Grab Food, get to know you co-op bingo!

12PM to 1PM - Come together to share important updates & celebrate economic democracy wins

1PM - The fun continues with music, dancing and great vibes.

Two years ago, we started our fundraising campaign and we currently have $1278 in monthly recurring donations from sustaining donors. This year, we want to accelerate our shared struggle for economic democracy--we're asking our communities' to deepen their support and help us to raise $1,550 in monthly recurring donations. 

If you believe in the power of collective ownership to build community wealth and power, we ask that you become a Sustaining Supporter of Cleveland Owns. Your monthly recurring donation will help keep economic democracy cooking!

source: Network Lobby - Cleveland chapter

https://networklobby.org/news/41426-war-budget/

WASHINGTON, D.C.— As Congress convenes to begin discussions on Budget Reconciliation and in response to President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice Executive Director Laurie Carafone issued the statement below. The president’s proposed budget slashes funding for healthcare, food programs, housing supports, and childcare while proposing $1.5 trillion in total defense spending, $350 billion to continue funding an unprovoked war, and additional funds for militarized immigration enforcement.

“A budget is a moral document that demonstrates our nation’s priorities. Catholics and Americans who value peace and justice are united in their opposition to increased militarization here or around the world. Our call to Congress is clear: no more money for the Iran war; no more money to separate our families. Our faith calls us to love one another and protect human dignity and the common good everywhere. Instead, the Trump administration has devastated food and healthcare programs for millions of people to pay for mass detentions and deportations and now wants to take away more vital programs that families need to pay for more war and militarization in our neighborhoods.

“Pope Leo XIV makes the moral urgency clear: ‘Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent people are being killed, and I think someone has to stand up and say there’s is a better way.’

“We are encouraged by our Catholic leaders reminding us that the Gospel is clear in directing us to be peacemakers. True security comes from investment in priorities that bring life, peace, and justice. Americans who are struggling to provide for their families want solutions that prioritize the wellbeing of our communities, not funding to escalate war, terrorize communities and tear families apart.”

Please join our We The People rally in Parma, OH, on Saturday, May 9 for a public demonstration at Anthony Zielinski Park (formerly known as Ridgewood Lake Park), across W. Ridgewood from Parma Town Shopping Center. 

source: Network Lobby - Cleveland chapter

https://networklobby.org/news/41426-war-budget/

WASHINGTON, D.C.— As Congress convenes to begin discussions on Budget Reconciliation and in response to President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice Executive Director Laurie Carafone issued the statement below. The president’s proposed budget slashes funding for healthcare, food programs, housing supports, and childcare while proposing $1.5 trillion in total defense spending, $350 billion to continue funding an unprovoked war, and additional funds for militarized immigration enforcement.

“A budget is a moral document that demonstrates our nation’s priorities. Catholics and Americans who value peace and justice are united in their opposition to increased militarization here or around the world. Our call to Congress is clear: no more money for the Iran war; no more money to separate our families. Our faith calls us to love one another and protect human dignity and the common good everywhere. Instead, the Trump administration has devastated food and healthcare programs for millions of people to pay for mass detentions and deportations and now wants to take away more vital programs that families need to pay for more war and militarization in our neighborhoods.

“Pope Leo XIV makes the moral urgency clear: ‘Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent people are being killed, and I think someone has to stand up and say there’s is a better way.’

“We are encouraged by our Catholic leaders reminding us that the Gospel is clear in directing us to be peacemakers. True security comes from investment in priorities that bring life, peace, and justice. Americans who are struggling to provide for their families want solutions that prioritize the wellbeing of our communities, not funding to escalate war, terrorize communities and tear families apart.”

Please join our We The People rally in Parma, OH, on Saturday, May 9 for a public demonstration at Anthony Zielinski Park (formerly known as Ridgewood Lake Park), across W. Ridgewood from Parma Town Shopping Center. 

source: Third Act Ohio

The Great Ohio Climate March (GOCM) will start on Saturday, May 16, at the farmers market in Athens, Ohio.  From Athens we’ll work our way northeast, largely following the Buckeye Trail, over 7 days to Salt Fork State Park where we’ll have a day of educational events, fun, and rest for marchers.  From Salt Fork we’ll march west, over 5 days, to the Statehouse in Columbus, for an ending rally, celebration, and legislative day on May 28.  Most of this portion of the route is on small rural roads, bike trails, and sidewalks.

Marchers will be able to sign up to hike the full route (approx 120 miles of walking), or any portion they choose (a week, a couple days, or even a couple hours).  Most hiking days will be about 10 miles, with a couple days of fewer miles at the start and finish, and a few days that are closer to 12-13 miles.  Don’t worry if that sounds like a lot, this is a supported march with shuttles to carry your gear and you – if you need a shorter hiking day. 

And about the Climate – The Other Big Picture: 

Along the march route there will be many opportunities to see and learn about how the oil and gas industry has been welcomed with open arms by Ohio’s politicians into Ohio’s beautiful landscapes.  We will see the frack pads, compressor stations, and injection wells associated with the fracking industry which is wreaking havoc on and poisoning our air and waters.  We’ll also see other fossil fuel infrastructure such as gas pipeline buildouts that scar the lands and disrupt everything from community peace and quiet, to native plant and animal species.  We’ll also witness the newer phenomenon of energy guzzling data centers rapidly popping up throughout Ohio, competing with residents for electricity while supercharging climate chaos causing greenhouse gas emission.

But don’t despair, there is also good news and lots of potential in Ohio for clean, renewable energy.  We’ll have the opportunity to see and understand more about Ohio’s buildout of renewable energy as we visit some large solar arrays.

More March Details:

There is a registration fee that is prorated based on the number of days hiking. The registration fee includes: meals, water, either camping or budget hotel accommodations, sag wagon, and transport of hiker’s gear.

https://greatohioclimatemarch.org/

When: May 16-28 of 2026 – participate in all or part of it!
Where: Southeast and mid-Ohio, Athens to Salt Fork to Columbus
How: A detailed route map is coming soon.
Who: The Great Ohio Climate March is being organized by Third Act Ohio, with the help of many other organizational and individual friends
Why: To draw broad attention and public awareness to:

• Fracking on Ohio public lands & parks
• Ohio politicians making greedy deals with the oil & gas industry that have turned our beautiful state into a sacrifice zone
• Environmental justice for Ohio communities
• Impacts of the climate crisis globally, as well as in the US, Appalachia, and Ohio
• The benefits to all Ohioans of clean, renewable energy

Election Observer delegation to Colombia with CRLN (Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America)

IRTF’s sister organization in Chicago (Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America) is organizing an election observer delegation to Colombia for the end of May 2026. Please consider applying for this delegation.

May 24–June 1, 2026, during the country’s general elections on May 31.

See the information and application here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelym2HM5T7u2vCbeGmzC1rYFaexLWH9ERMUgGSaDV6WguTzw/viewform?pli=1

Who is running for president of  Colombia? The left’s Iván Cepeda, the right’s Abelardo de la Espriella, and the center-right’s Paloma Valencia are battling to win the May 31 election. Read more here.

About the delegation

This delegation is a space for political education, solidarity, and international accompaniment. Participants will receive training and serve as international election observers while engaging directly with grassroots organizations, human rights defenders, and survivors of the war. Together, we will examine what the electoral process means for historically excluded communities and deepen our understanding of Colombia’s current political and human rights landscape.

For over two decades, CRLN has built faith-rooted partnerships with communities in Colombia, challenging U.S. policies that have fueled militarization, displacement, and human rights abuses—especially impacting Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities. This delegation continues that commitment by strengthening relationships, learning from lived experiences, and accompanying ongoing movements for justice, historic memory, and collective liberation.

Delegation Highlights:

International election observation training and participation

Engagement with and learning from grassroots movements and human rights defenders

Dialogue with survivors advancing truth, justice, and liberation

Who should apply?
Organizers, faith leaders, activists, students, and anyone committed to international solidarity and social justice.

Apply here: https://forms.gle/ZfwUByN4bvvCgUiJA
Click here for additional information.

Applicants will be notified on a rolling basis. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Jhonathan Gómez at jgomez@crln.org.

Delegation Goals

1. Electoral Observation

Serve as an international observer during Colombia’s general elections (May 31)

Receive training and engage directly with local observation missions, civil society organizations, and electoral monitors

Examine what elections mean for historically excluded communities, as well as survivors of the armed conflict

2. Human Rights & Political Education

Learn about human rights conditions in Colombia through engagement with grassroots organizations, movements, and human rights defenders

Analyze the current political landscape and its relationship to electoral politics

Hear firsthand testimonies that ground political analysis in lived experience

3. Historic Memory & Solidarity

Engage with survivors of the armed conflict to understand processes of memory, truth, and collective repair

Learn from survivor-led efforts to advance justice and reconciliation in a post-war context3

Build relationships grounded in solidarity with communities working toward truth and collective healing

Who Should Apply?

- Organizers, activists, college students 
- Religious leaders and community leaders
- People committed to international solidarity and social justice 
- Individuals willing to engage respectfully with communities

Costs

 Sliding scale of $1,600 - $1,400 / This price does not include flights to Colombia (The sliding supports CRLN’s financial assistance to delegation participants who request it)

✔ Includes housing, most meals, in country transportation, and delegation coordination 

✈ Flights estimated: $600–$900, depending the date purchased
X THE COST DOES NOT INCLUDE FLIGHTS TO COLOMBIA. Flights must be purchased by participants.

Delegation Requirements, Participants are Required to:

- Attend 2 pre-delegation Zoom meetings
- Review and study background materials on Colombia’s social and political contex

- Advanced level of comprehension of the Spanish language is required 

- Participants are expected to participate fully in all meetings, and activities of the delegation, including the work that will happen as an international election observer.

- Participants are expected to participate in collective post-delegation report-back and public education, and advocacy efforts.

How to Apply 

Apply by filling out the online application. Applicants will be informed if they have been invited to attend the delegation by May 4, 2026. If you have questions or would like more information contact Jhonathan Gómez at jgomez@crln.org.   

This year, SOAW will once again join the Migrant Trail Walk, an annual interfaith pilgrimage through Arizona's Sonoran Desert honoring the lives of migrants who have died crossing the border. We invite you to walk with us in remembrance this May 25 - May 31, 2026, from Sásabe Sonora to Tucson, Arizona.

At a moment when anti-immigrant policies continue to expand surveillance, detention, and deportation—pushing migration routes into more remote and deadly terrain—this pilgrimage takes on renewed urgency. From the militarization of borders to the criminalization of migrant communities in cities across the U.S., we are witnessing a deepening crisis that calls for moral clarity, collective action, and solidarity.

Whether you walk a single day or the entire 75-mile journey, your presence is a powerful act of accompaniment and collective memory.

to register click here

Join us for a vigil at the Geauga County ICE Detention Facility on May 28 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM as part of the statewide Week of Interfaith Vigils across Ohio. From May 23 to May 30, communities will unite in solidarity with those held in civil immigration detention, raising our voices for change. This vigil will include interfaith prayers, brief speaking programs, and opportunities for peaceful reflection with signs and candles. Together, we will call for an end to ICE detention, demand transparency regarding detention facility funding, and advocate for the cessation of 287(g) agreements. Your presence is vital as we stand in collective action for justice and compassion. We hope to see you there.

To register, click here.

Let’s reconnect and reignite our shared purpose as a community! This year’s Equal Exchange Summit is more than a gathering—it’s also a celebration of 40 years of changing trade. For four decades, we’ve been working together to build an alternative trade model rooted in solidarity, democracy, and fairness. Together, we’ve connected coffee, chocolate, tea, bananas, and other fairly traded foods from democratically organized small farmer co-ops in the Global South with Citizen-Consumers in the North through Equal Exchange’s worker-owned cooperative—proving that another way of doing business is not only possible, but powerful.

As we mark this 40th anniversary milestone, we do so amid real challenges: historically high coffee and cacao prices, unpredictable tariffs and trade policies, and increasing corporate consolidation in our food system. Join us for a dynamic gathering of farmers, worker-owners, customers, organizers, and partners as we reflect on four decades of impact, confront today’s realities, and chart the next chapter of our solidarity economy—because in a world that urgently needs alternatives, our movement matters more than ever.

to regsiter click here

Thursday, June 11

• Welcome dinner (optional)

• Early check-in available

Friday, June 12

• Keynote Address

• Workshops

• All meals provided, followed by a party

Saturday, June 13

• Breakfast (optional)

• Equal Exchange Roastery Tour (optional)

Overnight accommodation will be provided in Wheaton dorms for anyone wishing to stay on campus Thursday and/or Friday nights.

There is no charge for the event or accommodations this year.

eynote Address: Santiago Paz López

We are excited to announce our keynote speaker for the 2026 Equal Exchange Summit: Santiago Paz López. Santiago is the Commercial Manager of Norandino Cooperative (formerly Cepicafe) located in the Piura region of Peru. What started out as a small group of coffee growers in the mountains of northern Peru has grown into a thriving cooperative that has been a partner of Equal Exchange for almost thirty years.

For the last forty years, Equal Exchange has built a better food system by helping organized groups of small farmers gain economic independence and greater political power in their regions. Norandino Cooperative is perhaps the strongest example of this approach since our trading partnership began and Santiago has been a key leader in this organization since its inception. He is one of the most visionary forces for social development we have ever worked with. In addition to solidifying the co-op’s market position in coffee, Norandino has expanded to bring co-op representation and infrastructure to sugar and cacao growers in northern Peru. They have built processing plants for both and now control the first step processing (cocoa powder, butter and “liquor”) instead of relying on private players whose primary interest is not the farmers. 

At the summit, Santiago will reflect on past successes and failures in this movement, as well as some of the biggest challenges they face in the coming decades.

“I believe the market is the most important. You must start from the reality of your producers. Most of them live in extreme poverty. The most important thing for them is to generate an income. They are busy surviving from day to day: what do we eat today, what do we eat tomorrow. The market can change matters.”