Fair Shake’s Community Democracy Series aims to give people the tools they need to participate in the processes that shape their communities. Each segment of our FREE 5 part webinar series will be hosted by our staff attorneys and dive into important aspects of our local and regional democratic processes that are often overlooked. Some examples include urban and suburban farming, building communities through zoning, understanding the permitting process, protecting your community from lead hazards, working together for environmental justice, and community lawyering for a better future.
We will begin this week-long series on August 24th, 2020.
You can register for the events here: https://fairshake-els.salsalabs.org/communitydemocracywebinarseries/index.html
Schedule of events:
Workshop 1: Introduction to Community Democracy
Monday, August 24th @ 2pm - John Heer, Esq.
Fair Shake’s Community Democracy Series aims to give people the tools they need to participate in the processes that shape their communities. In this FREE webinar, we will introduce you to our newest outreach program that aims to help communities get ahead of environmental risk by working beside them to plan the future they want to see.
Would having your own attorney help your community reach its goals?
For most communities in our region having a personal attorney is just not feasible. We want to change that. That is why we are beginning to offer pro bono legal services to at-risk communities with strong leadership who want to change their future for the better. Join us on August 24th at 2 pm to learn how you can engage with our attorneys and get your community on the track to success.
Workshop 2: Thinking Like an Attorney Before and After Risk
Tuesday, Aug. 25th @ 2pm - Tim Fitchett, Esq.
Do you know what risks your community is currently taking on?
Communities have been assuming risks that they have not agreed to and would never agree to and the situation is only getting worse. We want to help stop this vicious cycle by providing you with practical tools that will help you end this vicious cycle. Some of you’ll learn will include:
Environmental permitting
Public participation laws
Open records laws
Gathering the facts
Organizing for advocacy
We at Fair Shake want to go beyond the courtroom to give community members the tools they need to become equal players in the decisions about their health and future. Community strength against risk comes from knowledge and action. Understanding the laws in place will help you take your communities back and defend your environment.
Workshop 3: Building Your Community Through Zoning
Wednesday, Aug. 26th @ 2pm - Ryan Hamilton, Esq.
How can you participate in deciding the fate of your communities?
Zoning laws provide an opportunity for building successful communities through proactive decision-making and we want to help you understand the process so you can make the positive changes you want to see in your neighborhood. When used wisely they can fix problems like systemic and environmental racism, but only when the public's voice is heard.
Join us as we teach you the basics of zoning permitting, land use planning, how you can engage in the zoning process through leadership, and holding elected officials accountable. We will also provide context through some of our favorite examples of real communities using zoning to make a positive change throughout our region.
Workshop 4: Lead Hazards and Environmental Justice
Thursday, Aug 27th @ 2pm - Andy Karas, Esq.
Do you have what it takes to turn a risk into an opportunity? We think so!
Lead is prevalent throughout the Rust Belt region in our drinking water and in the paint inside our homes. This heavy metal is a toxin that provides a serious risk to children and developing youth, yet many do not know that they are exposing themselves to it. Understanding where risks lie and the laws that protect you is an important step to a safer healthier community.
Workshop 5: Suburban and Urban Agriculture
Friday, Aug 28th @ 2pm - Emily Collins, Esq.
Are you an urban or suburban farmer or food producer? Have you experienced hardships while trying to navigate the complicated legalities of multiple revenue sources? Are you trying to get ahead of issues that might arise? We are here to help!
Fair Shake’s Community Democracy Series aims to give people the tools they need to participate in the processes that shape their communities. Strong, healthy communities cannot exist without access to sustainable, local agriculture, so we want to help urban and suburban farmers succeed in providing this critical service.
We know that farming in the cities and suburbs provides unique challenges and in this FREE webinar we will talk about some of them and how we can work together to help you overcome the issues holding you back. We also hope to help you identify future hurdles you may face and discuss how you can get ahead of the curve and avoid costly risks. Your work is too valuable to your communities to let laws get in the way. We want to help you rebuild democracy by revitalizing our food system!
Each of these events will feature a 45-minute presentation followed by 45 minutes of Q&A with our staff attorneys. All webinars are free of charge though donations are always accepted. Follow this link to register for the events and/or make a donation today: https://fairshake-els.salsalabs.org/communitydemocracywebinarseries/index.html
