Dark Earth Hour

The Green Party of Michigan is asking all residents of the state to
observe a "Dark Earth Hour" from 9:00-10:00 p.m. on the third
Thursday of each month to raise awareness of the need to reduce
energy consumption. For that one hour every month, households and
businesses are encouraged to turn off all non-essential lights and
electrical appliances.

The last Dark Earth Hour for 2008 is Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008.

For 2009, Dark Earth Hour dates are:
January 15
February 19
March 19
April 16
May 21
June 18
July 16
August 20
September 17
October 15
November 19
December 17

___________________________


Great River Green Gathering

The Great River Green Gathering will be held this year
on August 21-23rd at the same camp ground as last year:
Wyalusing State Park
on the eastern bank of the Mississippi just south of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

There are 4 or 5 cabins that could probably hold 15-20 people each with showers, a full commercial kitchen, dining area and "lounge." Plus there's plenty of room for camping and a great natural amphitheater for outdoor meetings. We were very happy with the facilities which is why we've booked it again for this year. Mark it on your calendar all you Upper Midwest Greens.

The Great River Green Gathering has evolved from the Wisconsin Green Party "Summer Gathering." This was a "meeting" that we initiated several years ago in response to the need to just get to know our fellow Greens in Wisconsin in contrast to our regular business meetings in the Fall and Spring. The idea is to socialize and have fun. Bring the family too! Formal business is secondary or even tertiary.

As many people have already commented, the best thing they like about the Annual National Meeting of GPUS was not the meeting itself but the chance to get to know other Greens. We have simply created a time and space to do this on purpose through our Summer Gathering and now the GRGG. It isn't easy being Green and it can get pretty lonely at times. I have always believed that the social aspect of our meetings is just as if not more important than the business we conduct. It helps us reconnect and recommit knowing there really are others following the same path.

Bruce Hinkforth
Co-chair, Wisconsin Green Party

___________________________

State Membership Meeting
September 26, 2009, 9-5
City Park Grill,
Petoskey, MI

www.cityparkgrill.com/
432 East Lake Street
Petoskey, MI 49770
(231) 347-0101

___________________________

Winona LaDuke

at Royal Oak Community College
NE corner of Washington and Lincoln
Royal Oak, Michigan

6:30 pm Wednesday, October 7, 2009

She will be speaking on
Multicultural Democracy:
Religion, Culture and Identity in America
Admission - free; public invited

___________________________

The US Social Forum II

• June 22-26, 2010 •
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Another World Is Possible! Another US is Necessary!
Detroit to Host 20,000 Activists

The USSF will take place June 22-26, 2010 at Cobo Hall and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. Other workshops and community art and culture programs will take place across the city. The USSF will convene social movements from across the United States and globally. Organizers are reaching out to young people, people of color, unionists, laid off and unorganized workers, welfare recipients, veterans, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, freedom fighters, collectives, and many others.

For details and updates, see http://www.ussf2010.org/