Building a future where people, the planet and peace are put before profit requires more than energy and activism - it requires education. Join thousands across the country later this month for the Next System Teach-Ins to study, debate and organize around the social, political and economic issues that determine what our future will look like. Teach-Ins aren’t only for students - they are a place where students, faculty, staff and community members come together in order to build tools for responding to matters of national and global importance. 

Liberty Tree is a proud partner of the Next System Project actively taking part in these teach-ins. In particular, we are involved in the mass teach-in scheduled for UC, Santa Barbara April 26-28th, which will be livestreamed (see http://live.TeachIns.org):   Our National Director, Timeka Drew will speak on “From Climate Justice to Climate Democracy;”  Our President, Ben Manski, will join Liberty Tree Fellow Matt Nelson (of Presente.org) for a plenary discussion of “Strategies for the Next System;” Liberty Tree Fellow David Cobb (of Move to Amend) will speak to “It’s Not Just Money in Politics: How Corporations Rule Your Life” and two members of our board of advisors will play leading roles - Richard Flacks and of course, Gar Alperovitz.       To find a teach-in near you, click here and search the interactive map. Can’t find a local teach-in? There is still time to host your own - click here and check out the Next System Teach-In Toolkit to get started.  This issue of Democracy News highlights exciting news from the global democracy movement, illustrates the importance of student activism and education reform, and lifts up the labor movement’s work promoting democracy on the job.   Read on to learn more…   ACTION ALERT:   Sign the petition supporting striking Verizon workers   DEMOCRACY NEWS:     Over 100,000 flood streets of France in pro-democracy “Up All Night” protests   Thousands of workers join united strike effort, reflecting labor movement power   “Democracy Spring” protests result in most mass arrests at the U.S. Capitol in over a decade     Student led “National Day of Action” against racism and student debt named divestment from private prisons among list of demands   Verizon strike is one of many massive actions powered by thousands of workers this decade   Madison students using restorative justice to build community, address school to prison pipeline   University presidents admit student activists are effective in forcing schools to address racial disparities in new study     Southern California middle school students call for re-hiring of coach after he was fired for collecting and redistributing wasted fruit