Dear friends,

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening from 5-6 pm MT/  7-8 pm EST for our next LWV/CAP network call.  Some of the states you represent have finished their legislative sessions and there will undoubtedly be news to report from the trenches, both good and bad.

And we can look forward to a very interesting guest speaker, Miranda Viscoli, Co-President of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence.  Her visit with us will be timely, given the attention currently being given to CVI – Community Violence Intervention initiatives.  Miranda and New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence realized early in their existence that community and awareness building activities could play an important role in preventing gun violence. Since then, the organization has pioneered several initiatives focused on building community awareness, with the most recent begin a gun safety radio program which will air throughout New Mexico over the next 6 months!

In addition to their legislative work and achievements, New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence help facilitate ERPO trainings for law enforcement, oversee gun violence prevention workshops in local school districts, and established the fantastic “Guns to Gardens” initiative. This initiative enlists artisans to convert firearms (turned in or confiscated) into gardening tools that, in turn, are presented to someone who has lost a family member to gunshot.  The presentations have become moving community events, attracting city officials, legislators, and survivors. To date, NMPGV has facilitated and funded 17 gun buybacks and removed over 1,700 firearms out of New Mexico’s communities. Notably, over 40% of the guns taken in are semi-automatic firearms and assault-style weapons. Guns are dismantled on-site and the scrap metal is forged into gardening tools by high school students from RFK Charter School through the SWEPT nonprofit.  

Another exciting initiative championed by New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence has been their school mural projects.  Through grants and other funding, they have hired artists to meet with young people to create murals on school walls to highlight the tragedy of gun violence.  As important as the finished murals themselves has been the mentoring their creation fosters between caring adults and the students themselves.  The project gives students an extended opportunity to talk about losses they’ve experienced and their fears.  And the finished murals remain – reminders of all the reasons for young people to avoid resolving their issues with firearms. To learn more about the mural project click here!

Miranda is a dynamic presence and will give us an inspiring evening.  Allison will send you the link for our meeting on Monday.  Please feel free to invite other LWV friends to join us on this and future calls!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://americanprogress-org.zoom.us/j/89421944446?pwd=M1ZpbzhGTWhuczdTUk1XdDgvekhiZz09

Meeting ID: 894 2194 4446
Passcode: 908600
One tap mobile
+13092053325,,89421944446#,,,,*908600# US
+13126266799,,89421944446#,,,,*908600# US (Chicago)

Dial by your location
        +1 309 205 3325 US
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
        +1 646 931 3860 US
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
        +1 305 224 1968 US
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
        +1 360 209 5623 US
        +1 386 347 5053 US
        +1 507 473 4847 US
        +1 564 217 2000 US
        +1 669 444 9171 US
        +1 689 278 1000 US
        +1 719 359 4580 US
        +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver)
        +1 253 205 0468 US
Meeting ID: 894 2194 4446
Passcode: 908600
Find your local number: https://americanprogress-org.zoom.us/u/kSekAN2Up

All the best,

Mary Lewis Grow and Sue McCalley