WEEKLY PEACE CALENDAR

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Thursdays, February 26, 7:30 am - 8:30 am, in person, Castroville Crack of Dawn Bridge Brigade: Democracy Over Authoritarianism.  Join Aromas TriCounty Indivisible at the Castroville Pedestrian Overpass at Geil Street and Salinas Street, over Highway 156 in Castroville.  Dress warmly.  Find more details and sign up HERE.  

Thursday, February 26, Ready, Set, Vote! Video Contest:  Submission Deadline February 26 (midnight).  The League of Women Voters of Monterey County is sponsoring a high-school video contest to inspire civic engagement and voter participation.  High school students in Monterey County, grades 9–12, re invited to submit a 30–60 second video using either of two themes: “Ready, Set, Vote!” or “Voting is Democracy in Action!”  Selected videos may be used to support voter registration efforts. Prizes include First Place (3 awards): $200 each, and Merit Prizes (10 awards): $75 each. Find contest rules, eligibility requirements, and the application form HERE.

Thursday, February 26, 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm, in person, Youth Open Mic to honor Black History Month, at Laguna Grande Park, 1259 Canyon Del Rey Blvd, in Seaside.  Mindshift Youth and friends will take the stage to share their talents and celebrate culture and expression.  All are welcome.  This coincides and is co-located with Seaside Everyone's Harvest Farmers Market (3 pm-7 pm)

Thursday, February 26, 5:30 pm - 7 pm, in person, Safe Ag Safe Schools Monthly Meeting, 734 E Lake Ave. STE 15, in Watsonville.  This is the first official SASS meeting of 2026. Hear about last year's campaigns, successes, and challenges. Food provided.  For questions, contact Yanely Martinez yanely@pesticidereform.org

Peace Pick of the Week!

Friday, February 27, 5:30 pm - 7 pm, in person, Whistlemania at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., Seaside.  Volunteers of all ages are invited to assemble whistle kits.  They’ll be distributed to businesses, organizations, and community members who will use them raise an alert when ICE activity is nearby. Form a Crowd & Stay Loud!  Sign up HERE.  Guest speaker, Seaside Council member Alexis Garcia-Arrazola. Organized by Indivisible Monterey Bay's WhistleStop Campaign, Monterey Peace and Justice Center, and the Peace Coalition of Monterey County.

Saturday, February 28, 11 am – 1 pm, in person, Our Roots: Sambadá celebrates the culture of the Diaspora at the Palenke Arts Studio behind Martin Luther King School of the Arts, 1713 Broadway Avenue, Seaside. In celebration of Black History, Santa Cruz-based SambaDá and special guests will take the audience on a musical journey from the continent of Africa to the Caribbean and Brazil, honoring the power, strength, and resilience of the ancestors and celebrating this profound cultural inheritance.  Free event. More info HERE.

Saturday, February 28, 1 pm - 4 pm, in person, Know Your Rights Training, Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd, Seaside.  Learn California-specific information. Legal Clinic workshop is scheduled from 3 pm to 4 pm.  Organized by Pause the Calls.  Note the new starting time. More info pausethecalls@gmail.com 

Peace Pick of the Week!

Peace Pick of the Week!

Saturday, February 28, 2 pm - 4 pm - in person, March 4 Democracy: Mass Rally and Sidewalk March at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Ave, Monterey.  Join the sidewalk march around Lake El Estero or stand in solidarity with others at the rally site. This is part of M4D, a nationwide mobilization to defend democracy and confront corruption in our nation's capital.  RSVP HERE.  Volunteer HERE. Organized by 50501 Monterey Bay and Unite Monterey County.

Saturday, February 28, 3 pm – 4 pm, virtual on Zoom, 2026 Online Legislative Training.  350 Bay Area Action will view the newly introduced bills introduced for the 2026 legislative session. Learn about the legislative process and how we, as climate activists, can help California respond to the climate emergency. Learn how to find bills, get updates on your favorite bills and track who supports them. The training is free.  Sign up HERE.

Tuesday, March 3, 12 noon, virtual live stream, Webinar: Why is Toforest Johnson on Alabama's Death Row? Join Death Penalty Focus Board Member Dan Kupetz for a discussion with investigative journalist Beth Shelburne (host of the "Earwitness" podcast) and Akeriya “Muffin” Terry, Toforest Johnson’s daughter and a leading advocate for his innocence.  For 27 years, Toforest Johnson has been on Alabama’s death row for a murder he didn’t commit. His prosecution was based on the testimony of a paid witness. The original prosecutor and the current county attorney are calling for a new trial, yet Johnson remains on death row.  Learn how this profound miscarriage of justice happened and the fight to free an innocent man.   Register HERE

Tuesday, March 3, 6:30 pm – 8 pm, in person, Songs from the Hole, Film Screening & Discussion at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula, 490 Aguajito Rd, Carmel.  An award-winning documentary-visual album composed from prison by James "JJ'88" Jacobs. At 15, he took a life and lost his brother three days later. Through first-person narration and his original music, JJ explores his identity and complex emotions, using music as a path to healing and redemption. The film blends animation, re-creations, and spiritual dialogues to create a vibrant tapestry of his journey. Sponsored by Whites for Racial Equity.

Saturdays: March 7 and 21, April 4 and 18, 10 am – 4 pm, in person, E in a Women’s Program. Join Empathy in Action for this special four-part series designed as an “arc of transformation” experience.  A volunteer civilian cohort and the incarcerated community of the women’s prison will explore different readings and topics together. Sign up HERE.

Sunday, March 8, 1 pm – 3 pm, in person, International Women’s Day at Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont St., Monterey. Celebrate the strength, resilience, and achievements of women.  Free community event, hosted by the Monterey County Commission on the Status of Women in partnership with Monterey Peninsula College. All are welcome!

Tuesday, March 10, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, in person, Join Swing Left: Write Postcards and Help Register New Voters in Swing States.  Meet at the Monterey Public Library Community Room, 625 Pacific Ave., in Monterey.  Stay for the postcard and letter-writing party or pick up a packet to work on at home.  RSVP HERE so the organizers can anticipate supplies.

Tuesday, March 10 (and other dates through June 30th), 7 pm - 8 pm, Virtual Workshop:  Yes You Can(vass)!  If you've never canvassed or just need a refresher, sign up for one of these workshops. They're offered on Tuesday dates starting through June. Learn how to register voters and to have deep, meaningful canvassing conversations with voters.  Sign up HERE. For more Bay Area Coalition actions, visit https://bayareacoalition.org.

Wednesday, March 11, 12 pm, in person, Water 101:  Who’s in Charge? with Janet Brennan, League Board member and Chair of the Board of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency; George Riley, Chair of Board of Directors of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, and Gail Morton, President of the Board of the Marina Coast Water District.  Free talk presented by the League of Women Voters of Monterey County at their monthly “Lunch & Learn” meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 490 Aguajito Rd. in Carmel.  Doors open at 11:30 am for registration. Lunch at 12 noon. Presentation starts at 12:30 pm. Lunch (Mediterranean fare) is $25 per person, payable at the door with cash or check. Contact Beverly Bean at (831) 236-1611 or beverlygb@gmail.com to make your Lunch Reservations by Monday, March 9.  Find more details HERE. Recording will be posted on the LWVMC website, under Videos.

Thursday, March 12, 2:45 pm – 4 pm, in person, Operation North Star, a monthly action at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, Sloat Ave Gate, organized by Veterans For Peace Chapter 46 to call on Naval officers to follow their conscience and reject unlawful orders. Bring signs of encouragement, support, and education. For more info, visit www.vfp46.org or contact Justin Loza, Justin.Loza.vfp46@gmail.com

Thursday, March 12, 6 pm - 8 pm, in person, CA Gubernatorial Debate with candidates Secretary Xavier Bacerra, Ian Calderon, Mayor Matt Mahan, Tom Steyer, and Betty Yee.  Reserve tickets HERE. Co-sponsored by the Democratic Women of Monterey County, Democratic Women's Club of Santa Cruz County, and San Benito County Democrats.

Friday, March 13, 3 pm – 4:30 pm, in person and on Zoom, Monthly Meeting of Veterans For Peace, Monterey County Chapter 46.  Members and allies are invited to attend the meeting in person at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., in Seaside.  Or join via Zoom, directly HERE.  Passcode 678017.  For more info, contact Chapter President Justin Loza at justin.loza.vfp46@gmail.com. Chapter 46 meets on the second Friday of each month at 3:00 pm at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center in Seaside (Optionally on Zoom).  Visit the website and blog at vfp46.org. Follow on Facebook JohnSteinbeckIV and on BlueSky Social vfp46.bsky.social

Friday, March 13, 6 pm - 7:30 pm, in person, MC Million Rising Gathering at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula (UUCMP), 490 Aguajito Rd., Carmel. Meet on the 2nd Friday of each month to explore creative and nonviolent ways for ordinary folks to resist today's authoritarian threats to our freedoms and civil liberties, especially in Monterey County. Notes from past meetings. To stay informed, send your name, email address, and how you heard about the group to mcmillionrising@gmail.com.

Saturday, March 14, 6 pm, in person, screening of Fruits of Labor (2021), followed by a discussion with filmmaker Emily Cohen Ibañez, Ph.D., at JACL Hall, 424 Adams Street, Monterey. Filmed in Watsonville, this lyrical documentary follows a Mexican-American teen striving to graduate from high school as increased ICE raids force her to become her family’s main provider, working long days in strawberry fields and nights at a food processing plant. RSVP by March 10th with an email to jacl93940@gmail.com. Seating is limited to the first 100 persons.  More details HERE.

Saturday, March 21, 1 pm - 3 pm, in person, Never Can Say Goodbye: Book Talk & Workshop, author Darnell Lamont Walker will discuss his new book and lead attendees in a workshop creating space for connection, care, and mutual support while navigating hard conversations together, at the SandBox, 440 Ortiz Ave., Sand City.  Walker is a Death Doula, Emmy-Nominated Writer & Cultural anthropologist whose work lives at the intersection of creativity, care, and transition. Tickets HERE.

Saturday, March 21, 7 pm - 8:30 pm, in person, Rhythms of Resistance - La Mezcla in Concert, presented by Palenke Arts at the World Theater, 5260 6th Ave, on the campus of Cal State Monterey Bay.  La Mezcla is a womxn-led polyrhythmic, San Francisco-based dance and music ensemble founded by Vanessa Sanchez in 2015.  The repertoire is rooted in Chicana, Latina, and Indigenous traditions and blends Tap, Son Jarocho, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms to elevate overlooked histories and experiences of communities of color. Tickets HERE.

Saturday, March 28, 2 pm – 4 pm, in person, Mass Rally: NO KINGS Monterey at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Blvd., Monterey.  Rise up, take to the streets, and say it loud: No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. We have the power and are claiming it together.  RSVP HERE.

Saturday, April 11, 5 pm - 9 pm, in person, Together with Love Fundraising Dinner at the picturesque Club at Pasadera, 100 Pasadera Dr. in Monterey. The Monterey County Rape Crisis Center (MCRCC) invites all who believe in their mission -- supporting survivors of sexual violence, child abuse, and human trafficking.  Prize bundles will be raffled at the event; prizes include gift certificates to hotels, restaurants, and wineries, as well as spa services, whale-watching tours, and other fun or relaxing activities.  You won't need to be present. Raffle tickets may be purchased on the website even if you can't attend the dinner. Dinner and raffle tickets are on sale HERE.

Tuesdays in May (May 5, 12, 19 and 26), 6:30 pm – 8 pm, virtual series, Organizing for Climate Resilience: with Cherice Bock. Help build climate resilience in our communities.  Explore how faith communities can serve as hubs for connection and steward their land to heal local ecosystems. Click to Register.  Sliding scale cost.  Offered by the Ben Lomond Quaker Center.

Mondays, April 6 through June 1, 4 pm – 6 pm, in person, Empathy in Action: Spring 2026 Series. Enroll today for the 8-week Spring 2026 cohort. Each weekly session (excluding holidays) is held at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. Each 30-45-member cohort will meet weekly with individuals incarcerated at CTF to explore issues like societal trauma, racism, domestic violence, and drug abuse.  An initiative of the Transformative Justice Center based in Monterey.  To sign up, complete the contact form HERE or email mmcdrew@transformativejusticecenter.org

Saturday, May 2, 9 am, in person, NAMI Walks at Toro County Park, 501 Monterey-Salinas Highway 68 in Salinas.  It’s a day where individuals, families, and communities come together for one powerful purpose: Mental Health for All.  Every dollar raised funds NAMI’s free programs, support groups, and advocacy efforts here in our community.   Sponsorships are needed to make this event possible. Questions: contact Maria Zamudio Garcia at 831-422-6264 or mzamudio@namimonterey.org, or visit the website. 

Mondays, 6 pm – 7:45 pm, English Second Language Classes at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., in Seaside.  No registration necessary.  Walk-ins welcome. For more information, text, or phone Alex Stampher at 831-899-7322.

Thursdays, 5 pm – 7:30 pm, English and Spanish for Citizenship, ESL and español para la ciudananía at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., in Seaside.  Practice basic language skills in English and Spanish.  Conversations vary depending on level and interests of participants. No registration necessary.  Walk-ins welcome. For more information, text or phone Alex Stampher at 831-899-7322.

Thursdays, 24-hour Economic Boycott!  Let your economic power send a message to the big corporations that exploit workers, fuel militarism, suppress unions, or abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion. Demand accountability and justice. Try to shop locally, if you must spend. Resources: WagingNonviolence.org and ChooseDemocracy.us/boycott-central/

Fridays, 4 pm - 5 pm, Peace Message Fridays at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Avenue in Monterey, organized by the Peace Coalition of Monterey County.  Contact Sidney Ramsden Scott at sramsdenscott@hotmail.com for more information.

Saturdays, 1 pm - 3 pm, Defends of Democracy: Protest at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Ave., Monterey.  This is a nonviolent weekly action to protest the corrupt and fascist Trump Regime. We the People Will Not Be Silenced!

First and Third Sundays of each month, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm, Vigil For Peace at the Star Market parking lot, corner of S. Main and Blanco Road, Salinas.  This vigil intends to bear witness to the prospects for peace everywhere. It is guided by Quaker testimony and Dr. King's historic Principles of Nonviolent Action: fearlessness, community-building, pursuit of direct action for the cause, aversion of internal spiritual violence, as well as external violence and injustice. Sponsored by the Live Oak Friends Meeting.  Email John Silva at roycamp39@gmail.com for more information.

Sundays, 3 pm - 5 pm, No Rest Until Liberation for Palestine, at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Ave in Monterey.  Activities include information sharing, art, street protest, music, community, and food. Rain or shine. Signs are available, or bring your own. Organized by Monterey Palestine Solidarity.  More info, email montereypalestinesolidarity@gmail.com