OMNI Blog

Changes in a Good Direction

 in Current Events

Changes in a Good DirectionIntroducing Alex and Rachel Alex Tripodi has been a member of Omni Board of Directors for over two years now. Maybe you remember the story of how his workplace closed down when covid started and he founded MayDay Community Kitchen for his own sanity and to feed others who were struggling. At the time, Alex told us “Peace will look different in the world my generation is facing. We need to think about how we do our work differently because if my generation is going to be part of this, they’ll want to see practical results.” […]

Birthing Omni 20 Years Ago – some of the people who did it

 in Current Events

The story’s been told before about how Dick Bennett and his friend Dana Copp retired in 1999 and wondered what they should do next with their passion for peace.  Around somebody’s kitchen table they pondered the idea of a peace center like the old Peace Center on Dickson Street that organized protests about the Vietnam War and subsequent social issues. Dick started an email newsletter and scheduled public talks and Dana went to visit the United Campus Ministries chaplain on Maple street and convinced him to allow them office space in their big basement. He also scrounged office furniture and an already-ancient […]

OMNI CLIMATE MEMO MONDAYS #232, MAY 26, 2025

 in Climate Memo Mondays

Compiled by Dick Bennett.  https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2025/05/omni-climate-memo-mondays-232-may-26.html   Chris Hedges.  Climate Crisis.Gene Ray.  Commoning. The Chris Hedges Report: Facing The Climate Crisis And Human Mortality By Chris Hedges, Scheer Post.  Popular Resistance.org (5-23-25).   In a world gripped by daily catastrophes, there is one that affects all but lacks the attention it deserves. The climate crisis — pervaded by ecological collapse, war, endless resource accu mulation fueled by capitalism — is the issue of our time. The warning signs are there but as author Eiren Caffall tells host Chris Hedges, people are not able to handle the facts regarding the “fragility of our […]

UKRAINE WAR ANTHOLOGY #34

 in Dick's Newsletter 2025

Compiled by Dick Bennett for a Culture of Peace, Justice, and Ecology May 25, 2025 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2025/05/omni-ukraine-war-anthology-34-may-25.html What’s at Stake:   A true—a complete and accurate– martial history of the USA.  Walter Hixson:  “From Columbus to the “forever wars” of the modern Middle East, Americans have sought imperial domination over other peoples, invariably deemed inferior, and have regularly chosen to go to war with them.”   These 34 anthologies (approx. 500 articles and books) provide that history for the US, Russia, and Ukraine, giving citizens the foundation for resistance; indeed, the foundation, available since 2014, had it been taught instead of the false […]

Last Vegan Potluck of the season Sunday

 in Current Events

Sunday May 25 – 5:30 pm – Omni Center Monthly Vegan :Potluck closes down for the summer while organizer Chip Ballew works his summer gigs and travels. What a lifestyle! But there’s one final potluck night for you to come by and meet some great people and try out some great food. Vegan doesn’t mean complicated. If you don’t have time to cook Sunday, bring a loaf of bread from the store, or grab a bag of tasty chips or something. Vegans don’t have to be picky. Just dedicated to healthy eating and taking care of the Earth the way […]

Gateway Emergency Meal Team starts cooking, changes name… becomes Gateway Feeds Folks

 in Current Events

The Gateway Project sifted gears toward meal prep like we told y’all last month. Like all new projects it’s now figuring out its own identify. As we prepped our first meal on May 17 we noticed how many people were asking us if “EMT” meant we did medical services. That made us wonder if focusing on the project we were workiing on needed a new name, so we’ve changed to Gateway Feeds Folks. That seems crystal clear, and we feel like we’re right where we need to be. There’s a great team of people pulling together to create food for […]

No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance Protest

 in Current Events

Saturday, June 14 – 2 – 4pm CDT Washington County Courthouse 280 N College Ave Fayetteville, AR 72701Sponsored by Community Hub and Indivisible NWA From IndivisibleAs Trump defies courts, ignores the Constitution, and punishes dissenters, all while he and his friends get even richer, June 14 needs to be our biggest and most widespread day of protest yet.It needs to be a clear and unmistakable sign that resistance is rising in every corner of our country — not just in our cities, but in small towns, rural countryside, and the swingiest of swing districts.It needs to be a reminder to […]

Trump and Musk are an opportunity

 in Current Events

Lessons from the Authoritarian Playbook This is the moment of truth for us and democracy. But it has the opportunity to let us win important goals. Scott Nakagawa from The Authoritarian Playbook has a plan for helping progressive values shoot forward in the face of oppression. More here: The “Flood The Zone Strategy”

Housing Crisis Task Force – winding down, getting focused

 in homeless

Apologies to Homeless Solutions Observers who did not get a notice of the meeting this month. It dropped off my list. We missed you if you didn’t get there. The meeting happened Weds May 21. There were interesting things that happened on this next-to-last meeting of this iteration of the task force. The group was small this time. Most of the developers were absent. I’m sure they had reasons, but its interesting that now as the work is shifting to actually helping people who need help several of them don’t seem to be interested anymore. There were presentations this time […]

What does the president’s budget do to housing and homelessness funding?

 in Current Events

Keeps funding short-term assistance for workers / throws permanent supportive housing, elderly, disabled and families under the bus. The President’s Budget would not only end assistance for hundreds of thousands of people, placing them at risk of losing their housing, but it would also decimate the resources currently available to states and local governments to address homelessness. A claim is made that funds would be moved to a block grant somewhere. But then in another line it ends block grants. It’s a betrayal of people all over the country who need this help from their government. To read for yourself […]