Next Membership Meeting!
- When:
- Wednesday, November 5, 6:00–8:00pm
- Where:
- Cook Community Center
510 Gopher Dr.
Cook, MN
- Topic:
- We will watch the film,
"No Other Land"
followed by a discussion.
Ely Palestine Solidarity Group and Northern Progressives are co-sponsoring a screening of No Other Land — an Academy Award-winning documentary made by a Palestinian-Israeli film collective. Please join us on Wednesday, November 5th, 2025 from 6:00-8:30pm at the Cook Community Center.
The Oscar — a first for Palestine — has been added to the list of 45 awards that the film has won since its release in 2024, including best documentary in the 2024 European Film Awards, the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival, and the 2024 Gotham Awards. The feature has received widespread critical acclaim and five-star reviews in international media. It has been screened around the world and has consistently sold out in independent screenings in the United States. And yet, no US distributor has picked it up to show it nationwide. Due to its politically sensitive content about the Israel-Palestine conflict, distributors fear potential backlash from the film's devastating depiction of Israeli actions.
No Other Land was directed by four young activists: Yuval Abraham (an Israeli investigative journalist), Hamden Ballal (a Palestinian film maker and human rights activist from the occupied West Bank), Basel Adra (a Palestinian film maker, lawyer, and journalist), and Rachel Szor (an Israeli cinematographer, editor and director).
For half a decade, Basel Adra recorded the destruction of his West Bank community of Masafer Yatta by Israeli Defense Forces, along with the everyday violence perpetrated against Palestinian villagers by Israeli settlers. The film captures this destruction between 2019 and 2023, and in archival footage from Basel's family. Basel has resisted the forced displacement of his people by Israel's military since he was a child, by filming the gradual destruction of his homeland, where Israeli soldiers tear down homes and evict their inhabitants. No Other Land takes its title from the cry of a villager, who asks where they are supposed to go — the homes have often been in families for many generations, and they have no other land. Basel builds an unlikely alliance with Israeli journalist, Yuval Abraham, who wants to join his fight. No Other Land is an unflinching account of Basel's community's mass expulsion.
According to RogerEbert.com: "In the hands of these talented film makers, the camera becomes a weapon for truth and resistance, and a tool for 'conservation' — recording the incontrovertible proof that their beloved Palestinian village ever existed."
Please join us — with your open and compassionate hearts & minds — for this important screening of No Other Land on Wednesday, November 5th at 6:00pm at the Cook Community Center. Admission is free, but donations to Gaza for food & medical relief are welcome.
All are welcome to attend.
Note that we do not meet on October 29.
SNAP Cuts Harm our Communities
Rally
Hosted by Northern Progressives, We Are Rising and Resisting, Iron Range Indivisible, and the Democracy Alliance of the Iron Range
- When:
- Saturday, November 1, 12:00–1:00pm
- Where:
-
Intersection of Hwy 53 and 12th Ave
Virginia, MN
440,000 Minnesotans Are About to Lose Their SNAP Benefits
Starting November 1, nearly half a million Minnesotans will lose access to Food Stamps (SNAP) — a lifeline for families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
This crisis is no accident. It’s the direct result of the Republican-led government shutdown, driven by Representative Pete Stauber and other Minnesota Republicans who refuse to come to the table and negotiate.
While families face hunger and grocery stores and farmers struggle, these lawmakers are prioritizing tax cuts for billionaires and cuts to food assistance, healthcare, and education.
Join us on Saturday, October 1, from 12-1 PM, to stand together and demand an end to the shutdown.
Let’s send a clear message: Minnesota’s kids, seniors, and people with disabilities cannot go hungry — Save SNAP now!
Food Shelf Donations for the Cook Community Food Shelf will be collected at the event.
We recommend signs that are themed around SNAP/food stamps, the government shutdown and the affect of SNAP cuts in our communities. We also recommend short (around 10 words), easy to read signs.
Please note: A core principle behind these actions is a commitment to nonviolence in all we do. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.
References
Calls to Action
Demand Republicans Swear In Adelita Grijalva NOW
It has been a full month since Arizonans elected Adelita Grijalva to the US House in a special election, but Speaker Mike Johnson still refuses to swear her in. He’s undermining democracy and denying 812,000 Arizonans their constitutional right to representation in Congress.
And here’s the kicker: Grijalva would be the decisive 218th signature to force a vote on releasing the Epstein Files -- something Johnson desperately wants to prevent.
This isn’t just partisan games. It’s part of Republicans’ Epstein Cover-up.
Rapid Response & Agility
No Kings Alliance
There will be more mass protests in our future, but before that, there will be authoritarian overreach to defend against…and quickly. What we do will change week to week. Whatever the moment requires, we’ll adapt. Because authoritarianism doesn’t stand alone — it survives on silence, complicity, and cash flow. The No Kings Alliance is simple: make it impossible for anyone — in power, in profit, or in denial — to quietly capitulate.
Each week the No Kings Alliance will update their website with a new “Culture of Defiance” action — stories, creative campaigns, or local actions you can share to keep our movement visible and strong.
Boycotts
Stay tuned
Nationally there are various calls emerging for boycotts of big
business on the week of Black Friday. No matter how that shakes out,
we can all support our small, local businesses
year round.
There is also a call for folks to boycott Spotify. Cancel your subscription now!
Helping our Neighbors
Mutual Aid
Times are tough. Inflation is rising. Food insecurity is increasing and
health insurance costs are predicted to rise sharply. These times
call on us to help each other and to commit to building
something better that works for all of us.
Cook Area Neighbors Network
A new group has started up in Cook!
"We believe neighbors should take care of neighbors. Our network connects
people in the Cook area who want to share resources, support each other, and
build a stronger community together.
"This isn't charity - it's community care. We all have something to offer and we all
need support sometimes. Whether you're sharing a meal, offering a ride, or asking
for help with groceries, we're here to connect you with neighbors who care."
CANN Koffee Klatch
Hosted by Cook Area Neighbors Network (CANN)
- When:
- Every other Thursday (Next: October 30) 9:30–11:30am
- Where:
- Cook Community Center
More Events
You can always find more events on our website.
