2005 Annual Report 1 2006 Annual Report October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006 A Message from the Board Chair & Executive Director W e’ve come a long way! Last year’s report highlighted our financial difficulties and the budget cutting we needed to sustain ourselves. This report is different. We started this year with a number of goals. Keeping our financial health was high on the list. In difficult circumstances we planned ambitious programs focused on education, economic justice, military recruitment, the legislative agenda, and a refocused racial justice program, all the while continuing to be the hub of peace work and Vermont’s premier fair trade store. We are proud to report that we accomplished much of what The year proved to be a modest success financially. With we set out to do in what was truly a year of transition. Transition incredible frugality, the generosity of members and the savvy of is an understatement. In January, Chris Meehan, our Executive Kathy and Jennifer, we made budget and increased our cash Director, announced she was leaving in April. In April, Hilla reserves by some $18,000. This was achieved despite almost Collins Gilpatrick, our Peace and Human Rights organizer, $7,000 less in grants and having to absorb $150/ month increase announced she was moving in June. In June, Emma Mulvaney- in rent and 18% increase in employee healthcare costs. Stanak, our Economic Justice Director, announced she’d been At the end of the year of transition, Serena Chaudhry came on offered a position as the Field Director for the Scudder Parker board as the new Executive Director with a vision to take the gubernatorial campaign and took a leave of absence in July. Peace and Justice Center to the next level. It is incredible to reflect on what we’ve done. Our staff Together, over the course of the next year, the board and staff deserve accolades for continu- will focus on the “P’s” of Peace ing great work through all the and Justice; people, programs, turnover, tight economic times, Our Mission is to create a just and peaceful world. and partnership. Through fully participating in the hiring To this end, we work on the interconnected issues of outreach, dialog and surveys process, transition activities and we will work to better under- economic and racial justice, peace, and human rights strategic planning exercises, stand how the Peace and Justice while running all the programs through education, advocacy, training and non-violent Center is perceived by the of our $300,000 organization. activism, and community organizing. people of Vermont. How can we The Board also deserves better serve the people who praise for putting in the time, comprise this community and intelligence, and energy that it took to keep us growing. This our members? Internally, we will commit to supporting our staff could have been a year of crisis, but it was not. It was a year of (our people), by exploring and pursuing professional develop- transformation. Lastly, our members, our lifeblood, deserve ment opportunities. thanks too. Without our members we would not continue to exist. The PJC is comprised of four programs, two of which, the Our programmatic accomplishments, which range from Economic Justice Project and Peace & Justice Store, have full publishing Phase 9 of the Job Gap Study to protesting the air time staff. Our goal is to build programming across the organiza- show at the Burlington Waterfront to participating in community tion and move towards employing full time program staff to lead forums on racism, are highlighted inside. the Peace and Human Rights Project and Racial Justice Project. Our media work – the Peace & Justice Review, Peace & In the spirit of collaboration, we will strengthen partnerships Justice News, Action Alerts and website – chronicled events and with old allies and forge partnerships with new groups. We know perspectives not covered by the mainstream media. Our own Ed that we cannot do this work alone. We are enthusiastic about the Everts was awarded a Hometown Hero by the United Way for his year that lies ahead and even more excited about engaging you long running weekly TV show, and Robin Lloyd taught us about to work in solidarity with us! the School of the Americas (SOA) and the price of conscience through stories from prison after being convicted for protesting the SOA. 2 2005 Annual Report The PJC’s Victories and Successes PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS Burlington College and a candle light work, how they are meeting com- 21 Church Street Our work on peace and human rights vigil on Lake Champlain in honor of munity needs and where the gaps lie. Burlington, VT 05401 was tangible in 2005-2006. The war those who died at Hiroshima and Undoing Racism. The PJC is in Iraq escalated. The genocide in Nagasaki. We also held a three part exploring different training opportu- 802.863.2345 Darfur persisted. Violence in the film series at the Fletcher Free Library nities for members and the commu- fax: 802.863.2532 colonial city of Oaxaca flared. The U.S. in August and September to increase nity at large on undoing racism. www.pjcvt.org Congress renewed the Patriot Act. awareness of dishonest recruitment [email protected] Through all of this, the Peace and tactics. PEACE & JUSTICE STORE Justice Center played an active role in The Declaration of Peace The Peace & Justice Store continues to negotiating issues of peace and justice By signing the Declaration of Peace in be a vital asset to the community STAFF locally and globally. conjunction with the International providing fair trade and local Chris Meehan / Day of Peace on September 21st, we products purchased from organiza- Serena Chaudhry Recruiting for Peace Project continue to advocate for peace here tions that support human rights and Executive Director We celebrated the passing of an in Vermont and around the world. fair labor practices. Wendy Coe addendum (H.538) that requires The PJC Store supported the Fair Office Manager and Trade Federation’s fair trade day with Newsletter Production Editor Vermont schools to send home opt out forms to all students at special programming and samples in Andrea Arratoon the store. During the summer Development Director the beginning of the year. Parents and can now opt out of having months, we did more tabling on Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Church Street and were part of Director, Vermont Livable Wage student information sent to Campaign military recruiters without special community events including the UU Women’s conference and Hillary Collins-Gilpatrick / effecting students ability to Jen Berger receive information about Pride. Peace & Human Rights Project employment and educational As the mid-term elections drew Kathy Bouton opportunities. Jen Berger (back left) leading a workshop. closer, companies such as Bush’s Last Co-Manager, P & J Store Truth in Military Recruitment Day(01-20-09) and Unemployed Jennifer Reay We facilitated discussions at places like RACIAL JUSTICE PROJECT Philosopher’s Guild drew in many Co-Manager, P & J Store King St. Youth Center where youth, In the spirit and history of the Racial customers. 01-20-09 stickers, pins, Megan Harlow ages 12-18 learned about military Justice and Equity Project led by John and magnets seemed to be inspiring Store Assistant recruitment and their rights in making Tucker, the Racial Justice Project, has for many as well as the Evan Long choices for themselves. They were so re-invigorated its work. This fall the “Impeachmints” and “National Store Assistant excited to learn, they wanted to talk PJC brought on a VISTA volunteer to Embarssmints”. As additional troops Donald Barnes about how wrong they thought the support us in this effort. Subse- were sent abroad, VT Peaceworks Racial Justice Project war is! quently, we have re-connected with peace magnets provided a way for Action colleagues and community members many folks to express their discontent We mobilized over 70 people to join across the state in some of the with US policy and demand change. together in a demonstration against following ways: For this upcoming year we have the National Guard Air Show. The Racial Justice Committee. been inspired by our new director, slogan, “War Is Not Entertainment,” We established a board and staff Serena Chaudhry to dream about was seen on banners, posters, t-shirts committee that will work “what can we be.” We are looking and heard in chants that corre- collaboratively to guide the project in into a new cash register/sales system sponded with the Raging Grannies its new endeavors to support our ever growing and anti-war songs. All this against the Networking changing inventory, researching new backdrop of onlookers singing the By attending and engaging in fair trade companies as well as local national anthem. We were also joined meetings across the state from the companies to support our fair trade by Bread & Puppet who performed in ALANA Community Center in ideal of local and global communities, Battery Park as the first plane of the Brattleboro to Anti-Racism Action and forging new cooperative day took off! A group of dedicated meetings in Burlington, the PJC is relationships with local businesses to activists spent the following morning, learning who is doing what in regards support each other’s work and in the pouring rain, at the foot of the to racial justice. business. Air Base in Essex with banners. We Collaborating were happy to host the Burlington The Racial Justice Project is preparing Staff posing for Store ad. Back Row: Megan Serena, Kat (workstudy), portion of the Citizens Awareness to organize and facilitate a statewide Donald; front row: Emma.