The Eleven, April 2015

Hello from the Nation’s Captitol

On a break from lobbying in the Botanical Gardens

My representative’s office – 1111

New lobbying friends, by the Capitol Building

Biggest CapHillDays Ever!

For years I’ve felt that population growth is the most important environmental issue we face. I traveled to Washington, DC to participate in Population Connection’s Capitol Hill Days. This was probably my 8th trip for this purpose. It’s a combination of advocacy training and lobbying on Capitol Hill. Here’s a quick action you can take to both learn more about where we’re at with international family planning and to ask your representatives for help on the matter. And, if contacting President Obama is your cup of tea, here’s a request to him to lift the Helms amendment and loosen restrictions on abortion care overseas.

This year’s event was the largest ever and I was surrounded by a diverse group of college students from across the US who are passionate about womens’ reproductive health issues. It was inspiring to feel their passion and caring for the planet. We heard some great speakers who have direct experience on how access to contraception impacts peoples lives in less developed countries of the world.

I also got to wander DC some and I had an interesting time on day 1 in Georgetown, and Day 2 in some nooks and crannies near the Mall that I’d never seen before. I didn’t go to the main collection of cherry blossoms, but still saw my fair share – enjoy these photo collections!

Pic Set #1 Pic Set #2 Pic Set #3

yes, there’s mail order 🙂

While in the area I also got to visit with my parents, Rich and Hannah, and my brother, Dan, who is also known as BakerMan Dan!

We are so lucky in the West, and yet we face many of the same problems people in other parts of the world face due to our increasing human population – overcrowding; resource depletion (thinking of California’s drought); having to grow food for 7.42 billion; species loss – staggering number of species dying off to make way for more humans. I don’t know the exact answer to how to stave off climate change and our other environmental issues – but any conversation that does not include human population growth as part of the issue is leaving out a key element. So, I’ll keep trying to include it and keep advocating for the low-hanging fruit – easy and free access to contraception; reproductive healthcare for all; sex ed at all age levels and encouragement to those who have small families and no children at all. I’m encouraged by this recent story/book: Childless, Proud and Happy: An Honest Conversation about Forgoing Kids that was on NPR.

And, if you have kids – great. I look forward to being a great uncle to them and a friend and support to you, cause kids can use all the adult connection they can get and parents could certainly use a hand.

Here’s to us all figuring this out together. I wrote a note to myself while wandering Georgetown and it’s a theme I hope to develop more: “It’s not like people haven’t been lying in the past. It’s just that right now we really need our wits about us. Instead of having people educated and smart and making good decisions we’re arguing over lies and bullshit and wasting money and time that we don’t really have right now“. I think now, more than anytime in history, money has to come out of politics and those who are working to deceive us (climate change deniers, anyone who advocates against access to contraception – Republicans), need to stop so we can work to figure our way through. Otherwise, we’re done for as a species.

On that happy note, I’ll see you back on the West Coast! Can’t wait to get home!

Happy Spring

Albert, The Eleven, April 2015

22 Reproductive Rights Activists Explain In Their Own Words Why They’re Fighting

ABBY JOHNSTON

@AJOHNSTON12

2 WEEKS AGO NEWS – Bustle Article

On Friday, April 10, advocates from around the world gathered in Washington, D.C. for Population Connection’s Capitol Hill Days, an annual advocacy event that focuses on training reproductive rights activists. An estimated 200 people gathered at the Fairfax Hotel for four days of interactive programming, which ended in a powerful lobbying trip to Capitol Hill on Monday.

Population Connection, a grassroots organization that focuses on population stabilization, brought family planning and reproductive health experts to educate attendees on legislative issues. And in this legislature, there are plenty of harmful bills that need activists’ attention: In one session, for example, representatives from NARAL Pro-Choice America and the National Women’s Law Center gave participants a crash course on the Hyde Amendment, a provision barring the use of federal funds to fund abortion that effectively derailed a bipartisan human-trafficking bill. The speakers also discussed the 20-week abortion ban that stalled early in the session, but remains in the GOP’s sights and the effect of last year’s Hobby Lobby decision on contraception access.

And that was just one session.

Reproductive health advocates, unfortunately, will always have plenty to keep them busy at the federal and state level. But if the turnout at Capitol Hill Days was any indication, there are plenty of men and women ready to fight. We wanted to know what brought participants to D.C., so we asked them to tell us in their own words.

What brought you to Capitol Hill Days?

Erica Davis, 20

Wilson Mugabo, 22

I want to be part of the advocacy for human rights especially women and children.

Laura Sooy, 21 and Daniel Saldivar, 22

Jenn Chow, 23 (she’s moving to India this year!)

Andrew Huang, 23

Shelina Noorali, 21

Timothy Irvine, 25

Abel Befirdu, 20

Sean Wirks, 21

Bailey Wendelberger, 20

Rickey Leachman, 25

Stephanie Kuhn, 22

Kelly Martin, 21

Nancy Machera, 21

I am part of the world’s population. I want to contribute to the necessary implementations concerning the population.

Samantha Downing, 22

Alyson Gray, 22

Lydia Seraichick, 22

Niko Naleid, 22

Lena Khawatmi, 22

Mohammed Naiyer, 18

Annie Guare, 20

Images: Blake Maples (20)

I’m standing with Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley for another 4 years. We’re lucky to have him. Here are some pumpkins we made for him during the first election! Enjoy