Let’s start the new year together! [NYC]
Dear friends,
Happy New Year! As we start anew, let us share our warmest wishes for you and your loved ones in 2023. We hope this new cycle brings more well-being–individual and collective–as well as more togetherness and energy to continue our fight against persistent poverty and all forms of discrimination.
In the last three years, our Movement has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with NYC as its epicenter. For a Movement which focuses on being All Together in Dignity, not being able to physically get together was a challenge. We had to learn to adapt to new times of uncertainty and virtual connections. Our actions have continued and transformed, taking the shape of virtual dialogues and hybrid meetings with small in-person gatherings (for Fourth World People’s Universities and for United Nations advocacy), having several art workshops, and maintaining our presence in Brownsville, Brooklyn through the weekly Story Garden and yearly Festival of Arts and Learning.
Last September 2022, we decided to take stock of our journey as ATD NYC and launched a Participatory Evaluation Planning process bringing a dozen members (activists, allies and volunteers) together over two weekends to help us reflect on our actions in 2020-2022 and give us collective inspiration and energy to plan for the next two years. This intense process resulted in four main priorities to invest in 2023-2024:
More articles will be shared on our website in the coming days about the content and process of our Evaluation and Planning work, along with beautiful pictures!
At the end of this month, we will be launching four Action Groups to implement this four priorities strategy. We count on you to be part of this new process. This planning can only be achieved with all of your support and participation.
Stay tuned for more updates and don’t hesitate reaching out if you want to help us!
ATD NYC Team
Aria, Jackie, Monica, Virginie, Yasmine
COMING UP in January & February
Thursday, January 12, at 5pm
Writing workshop at the Fourth World House, open to all! Send us your RSVP here: nycteam@4thworldmovement.org
Monday, January 23, at 8am
Zoom Meeting: News and Perspectives from the ATD Fourth World International Leadership Team, open to all! Contact the NYC team to access the zoom link and for more information about this meeting.
February 6 to 15: UN Commission for Social Development on the theme of Decent Work.
Tuesday, February 7: In-person ATD Fourth World Expert Dialogue
Wednesday, February 8: Reception event at the Fourth World House to exchange with the French Delegation of Activists coming to the UN Commission
Contact Aria (aria.ribieras@atd-quartmonde.org) for more information on these meetings
Friday, February 17, in the afternoon
Art Workshop at the Fourth World House. Contact the NYC team to sign up!
COMMUNITY NEWS
On January 4th, we received with great sadness the news of Lorraine Kelly passing. Many of us have known her as Grandma. We met Grandma and her family in the shelter where they were living in Jamaica, Queens. Her grandchildren and herself were very active in the Story Garden we were running there. The family later moved to Brownsville where we had the chance to welcome them again as avid participants to the Story Garden. Grandma was convinced that an action like the Story Garden meets the aspirations for openness, learning and creativity of many children and adults who struggle the most. She will be deeply missed.
We are organizing a memorial on her 81th birthday, January 18 at 6pm at the Fourth World House. Join us as we will share memories of Grandma and read some of her beautiful poems she wrote.