Community forum in Leavenworth focuses on civic engagement, activism

LEAVENWORTH — Approximately 100 people gathered at Icicle Creek Center for the Arts on Feb. 19 for a night of learning about non-violent intervention, immigration, elections and mutual aid and disaster preparation.

The event was led by Upper Valley Indivisible, a local activist group that formed in 2016 under the name NCW United. It was the first in-person informational meeting organized since before the pandemic, with a narrowed focus on problem solving and taking action.

The evening opened with keynote speakers from the Wenatchee-based group Confluence Indivisible, who discussed the meaning of fascism and the background of the national Indivisible movement. It was followed with an introduction to a recently formed website called “NCW Channel Z,” or ncwchannelz.com, which aggregates information about local organizations, resources and a calendar of civic events across Chelan and Douglas counties.

The meeting then split into four breakout groups led by community leaders: non-violent intervention, immigration, race and justice, elections, and mutual aid and disaster preparation.

“I went to visit Confluence Indivisible, and those are the groups that they set up, and it seemed very succinct and helpful, and so I followed their lead,” said Upper Valley Indivisible’s Judy Derpack.

The groups leaned into hyperlocal action, such as discussing ways to better support neighbors in the event of a natural disaster like December’s wind and floods, where residents brainstormed solutions to overcoming power outages and communication challenges. They also discussed actions with more national context, such as registering to vote and getting to know candidates, protesting with non-violence, and volunteering with advocacy groups such as Wenatchee for Immigrant Justice of the Interfaith Justice Coalition.

The organizers of the meeting said the objectives for the night were to bring together concerned citizens, trade accurate information, foster informed dialogue and participate in positive, effective action. To close her speech, Derpack quoted singer, songwriter and activist Joan Baez, “Action is the antidote to despair.”

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media