Chapter Chair Update
November 2020
Ann Gadwah
Greetings!
I hope everyone is safe and doing well. These times continue to surprise and challenge us, sometimes in ways we never thought possible. As we celebrate the end of another election season (they are very long these days), we look forward to a bright, new future—a future where our citizens are engaged in working for peace, justice, and a livable planet. They are engaged through the voting booth, through connecting with their representatives, through organizing, through protest and direct action, and through changing and challenging ourselves to do better now that we know better. Through these means, we will transform our country into a place where justice and peace are not just buzzwords, thrown around by those who do not truly seek them. It will be a country that lives up to its ideals and its promises.
Congratulations to all of our endorsed candidates that won their election bids this past week. We know you will continue to work for the environment in the legislature, as well as be a voice for those who have historically been forgotten. Connecticut is in a unique position, as it is on the front lines of climate disruption and also uniquely poised to really do something to mitigate and adapt to the coming tides. We have a governor, a legislature, and regulatory agencies that all say they are committed to ending fossil fuel dependence and moving toward a clean energy economy. We have an engaged and dedicated activist community (like you!) who are committed to keeping the pressure on these folks, to make sure that Connecticut will survive and thrive through the coming changes—and become a powerhouse example of how to mitigate and adapt in the new decade.
November is going to be a great month for events here at Sierra Club Connecticut. We have our Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour happening on November 21, 2020 at 6:30PM. Find out more information here. This year’s festival will feature “Words Have Power”, the story of Bridgeport’s own Jaysa, an incredible youth activist, calling for environmental justice. We will also be featuring stories of natural beauty, triumph over adversity, the healing power of nature and attempt to answer the question, “who does our natural spaces and public lands belong to?” Join us!
I look forward to working with all of you in the coming months and years. Together there is nothing we can’t accomplish. With hard work, integrity, and dedication, we can transform this state and this country into a place that works for all of us and for the natural world. As Senator Sanders is fond of saying, “Election days come and go, but the struggle for justice continues.” See you next month.
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Ann Gadwah is Chapter Chair and Political Chair of Sierra Club Connecticut.