Join Eco-Justice Collaborative on Friday, September 12, 2014, as Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ honors the council members of the Shawnee Vinyard Indian Settlement and Barney Bush Poet, chair, from southern Illinois! The award ceremony takes place at 615 West Wellington Avenue, from 6pm to 9pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Those we are honoring are hurt by coal mining and threatened by hydraulic fracturing, but they are fighting back. The rules for hydraulic fracturing are back for review and action by the Joint Administrative Committee on Rules, and Peabody Energy – the largest private sector coal company in the world – has received its permits for expanding strip mining operations in southern Illinois.

During this event you will:

(1) Hear from the Shawnee how current methods of extracting oil, gas and coal ravage the land; poison the water; and displace communities.

(2) Learn what the Shawnee Vinyard Indian Settlement is doing to protect their homelands from corporate interests and hear about their proposal to create eco-friendly jobs, countering the assertion that the extraction of fossil fuels is the only basis for a viable economy in southern Illinois.

(3) Find out what you can do to support their initiatives.

As we honor our guests, we also honor the spirit of Elizabeth I. (Betty) Benson, long-time member of Wellington, who set the example of working tirelessly for justice.

We will begin with a light meal 6pm, which will be followed by an exciting and informative awards program at 7:30pm. The evening will include film, music, dance, and poetry readings by Barney Bush.

Talk with Resource Partners Heartland Coalfield Alliance (represented by Eco-Justice Collaborative), Gutting the Heartland, Rising Tide Chicago, Tar Sands Free Midwest, and Nuclear Energy Information Service about campaigns and initiatives that will move our dependence on fossil fuels to policies based on energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Visit Wellington’s website for more information and click here to let us know you are coming!

Date: Fri, Sep 12th, 2014
Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ 615 W WELLINGTON AVE CHICAGO, IL MAP

If you need to drive, parking is on street or in the lot immediately north of the church.

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