Organized by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse (UUCGT)

The Community Connections Summit at UUCGT is focused on one powerful goal: building meaningful relationships that help bring our shared values to life in this year’s elections.

At this summit you’ll learn practical, proven ways to connect with voters—through personal outreach, simple tech tools, and community partnerships—that truly make a difference.

This coordinated effort makes it easy to contribute in ways that fit your time, energy, and strengths, while being part of something bigger that can shape the outcome of the midterm election.

UUCGT welcomes any and all Indivisible members of the community to join us. Please register and join us for what will be a productive, fun and friendship enhancing morning.

Register here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf47EgZ_L-On9PPJuu119nDT9e5ls8fBCquO5-FeL2HDdnoVw/viewform

Presented by the International Affairs Forum

Purchase tickets here.

Aziz Abu is Palestinian. Maoz Inon is an Israeli. Both have lost family to the conflict and have known the bitterness of righteous anger. The world expected them to be enemies, yet they chose a different path. They forged a bond of brotherhood.

In The Future Is Peace, co-authors Aziz and Maoz take readers on a transformative weeklong journey across a sacred and bloodstained land. Together, they discover the mythic, political, and personal history that divides but also binds them. 

Facing competing narratives, these two peace activists explore how compassion and unity can pull humanity back from the precipice of blind hatred. Throughout their travels, they are constantly asked: In the face of so much loss, how can we ever find hope? Their answer is always the same. One cannot find hope. We must create it.

The Future is Peace is a rebuttal to a broken world and a bold challenge to the belief that more violence can ever bring security. Told with unflinching honesty, their story is proof that peace is not a naive dream, but a courageous choice—for reconciliation to heal the wounds of revenge, for partnerships to change a destiny of war, and for empathy to save us from drowning in sorrow.

Pairing unapologetic candor and inspirational prose, Aziz and Maoz are sending an urgent message that the people have the power to make change. Peace is inevitable. For Palestinians, for Israelis, it is not just possible—it is the future.

Aziz Abu Sarah is Co-CEO of InterAct International, a nonprofit dedicated to Middle East peace. He is a peacebuilder, entrepreneur, National Geographic Explorer, TED Fellow, and renowned speaker and trainer on conflict resolution and responsible travel. Aziz is the co-founder of MEJDI Tours, a travel company seeking to transform tourism into a global force of citizen diplomacy. He has won numerous awards, including from the United Nations, the Institute of International Education, and The Explorers Club. Aziz is consistently named one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan. He has written opinion pieces for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Al-Quds, and Haaretz. 

Maoz Inon is Co-CEO of InterAct International, a nonprofit dedicated to Middle East peace. He is an Israeli peace activist and entrepreneur. He was honored with the prestigious Franco-German Human Rights Prize and the Shared Living Award from Abraham Initiatives. He has spoken on Capitol Hill, at U.S. universities, and the European Parliament. He has written pieces for The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, and more. He has founded several peace-focused initiatives within Israel and the Middle East, including the Jesus Trail, Fauzi Azar Inn, and Abraham Hostel & Tour brands.

Event Details

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with live music, and the conversation begins at 7:00 p.m. This event includes a Q&A session and a photo line immediately following in the lobby.

Ticket Information

General Admission Ticket: $20

Ticket + Book Pickup: $47

Ticket + Book Shipped: $55

Student and Teacher Tickets: Free
No age restriction with a valid school ID, student and teacher tickets admit one person to the live event. Books are not included.

Content Rating

Unless otherwise noted, NWS events are designed for adult audiences and may not be suitable for children.

Group Tickets
For discounted rates on groups of 20 or more, please contact: hanna@nwstc.org

Presented by Northern Michigan E3

A Northern MI E3 Better Together Offering with Deena Hayes-Green and Chris Crass. Join E3 on their continued efforts to engage around issues of race, power, and privilege.

This event is free and welcomes all.

Event organized by The New People Foundation

Hyperscale AI data centers are draining our Great Lakes water (amidst a water-quality crisis), devouring our energy grid (amidst a climate crisis), and cutting backroom deals with zero accountability. Enough is enough.

On April 11th, Michiganders across the state are rallying to take our state back from greedy Big Tech developers.

When: April 11th, 10am-11am EST
Where: Open Space Park
Why: To demand passage of the Data Center Regulation Act (HB 5594–6) and to build overwhelming support for MMOP. These bills are on the table right now. Legislators need to hear from us before it's too late.

BRING YOUR INSTRUMENTS!!

This is about so much more than merely the emerging threat that AI poses to our society. It's about securing our joint futures and asking legislators to act in our interest, not greedy corporate interests.

More information here.

Questions? Comments? Media enquiries? Want to get involved in the fight?
Contact Mitch at info@thenewpeople.org 

Presented by the Grand Traverse Democrats

Video is one of the most powerful tools for shaping culture, influencing policy, and mobilizing communities—and you don’t need a film degree or a big budget to use it well.

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to clarify your message, tell a compelling story, shoot and edit with simple tools and strategically publish using today’s major social media platforms. Whether you’re a candidate, advocate, nonprofit leader, or concerned citizen, you’ll leave confident in your ability to create and share video that moves people, from awareness and persuasion to real-world action.

For tickets and more information click here.

Organized by Traverse City Michigan Nurses Association

This is an informational picket. Nurses will participate on their own time (not a work stoppage.) There will be a few speakers and a lot of chanting and picketing.

More event information and RSVP here.

For more information on the Michigan Nurses Association click here.

Join Traverse Indivisible, Wednesday, April 8, for our next in-person Monthly Meeting!

ADA Reserved seating is available, along with a wide center aisle for wheelchair access.

While the agenda is still being finalized, you can count on leaving with concrete steps to defend democracy and uphold constitutional law in these challenging times.

Connect with fellow community members and make a real difference! Let's work together to protect our democracy and advocate for the issues we care about. Your voice matters!

For those looking to move beyond membership and become a volunteer, attending a meeting and talking with one of our Team Leads is the best way to get involved!

Registration is required…
In-person: https://www.mobilize.us/traverseindivisible/event/920188/
Virtual: https://www.mobilize.us/traverseindivisible/event/920183/

SAVE THE DATE: No Kings 3 is Coming to Traverse City!

Democracy is under assault. ICE raids are terrorizing our neighborhoods. Our national debt has hit 100% of GDP while authoritarianism tightens its grip. We're not backing down, we're turning up the volume!

No Kings 3 will be our biggest, loudest protest yet, and we need YOU there.

We’re still solidifying details, but you can start registering NOW! Click here to register.

Your early registration helps us with critical event logistics and crowd estimates. We're building something powerful, and every name counts.

What we know so far: ✊ This will be a joyful AND loud event 🎵 Bring your signs, your singing voice, noisemakers, and ALL your energy 📢 We're making noise for democracy

Looking to get involved? Email membership@traverseindivisible.org to find out about possible volunteer opportunities.

No Kings. No Tyrants. No Backing Down.

For more information and registration, click here or visit https://www.mobilize.us/traverseindivisible/event/898910/

presented by Equality Michigan

Join Equality Michigan Action Network on Thursday, March 26 at 6:00 PM for an inspiring program, meaningful connections, and space to build community with others who believe in dignity, equality, and action. Registered guests will receive light appetizers and drink tickets as we gather in solidarity and discuss ways to build lasting power here in Michigan.

We will be joined by Representative Betsy Coffia as our featured speaker, where we will hear her perspective on what it means to show up, build relationships, and translate community energy into lasting impact.

At a time when political attacks on the LGBTQ+ community are mounting across the country, we are choosing courage over fear, community over isolation, and actions over words. Reclaiming MI Pride is about collectivity, connection, and engagement. It is about being loudly and unapologetically queer. It is about supporting, celebrating, and showing up for one another. It is about channeling our pride into meaningful action in a year when so much is at stake.

Reclaiming MI Pride is more than a statement. It is a movement.

Join us! Show up! Stand proud! Fight back!

RESGISTER HERE

Presented by the NMC International Affairs Forum

Join NMC students of the IAF Student Leadership Team to explore the new space race. Governments and corporations compete for technological advantage, data control, and access to resources. Space infrastructure outpaces legal and international frameworks. The students and invited experts examine the consequences for citizens, the environment, and the balance of global power—and why international cooperation is essential as humanity expands beyond Earth. 

Expert contributors include:
Scott Pace, Ph.D. Director, Space Policy Institute
Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University

More speaker announcements coming soon. Learn more about the IAF Student Leadership Team here.

Get more information and tickets here.

Wielding The Wisdom

Presented by Rivers Edge Somatics & Firelight Embodiment

Do you identify as someone committed to change in your community? Are you a community organizer committed to social justice or liberatory movements? Perhaps you long to be engaged in this work and don’t know how to begin? 

The intensity of the political landscape is demanding more of us, individually and collectively. We are hearing from many people that they’re feeling powerless, overwhelmed, and confused. Many of us are feeling pulled in many directions trying to put out the quickly multiplying fires and are struggling to take skillful action. Our nervous systems are flooded with information daily and it's taking a toll. As the pressure builds, you might find yourself falling into similar patterns that keep you from living in alignment with your deepest values. 

If this feels true, you’re not alone. 

It makes sense we feel powerless inside of all changes we are facing, that’s by design. We believe one of the biggest lies told to us is that we are powerless. Somatics is a path of practice that supports us to reconnect to our own power and take skillful action. It deepens our awareness of our own reactive patterns and helps us learn how to keep moving toward what we care about even when we’re under pressure. We practice connecting with our own embodied agency and power because we have the potential to influence the conditions of our lives and this world. Somatic practice also invites us to claim our full aliveness even as the conditions of the world try to separate us from it. 

These times are calling for more of us to show up with courage and clarity about what we love. This 8-session coaching circle will be an introduction to politicized somatics for folks oriented toward political and culture change.

Join for a transformative small group coaching experience that brings organizers and change makers together. Liberation comes when we struggle for it together. Politicized somatics helps us to practice the relational skills we need to embody the world we are dreaming into being.  Let’s find and support each other in this work together. 

Get more information and register here.

Join Traverse Indivisible, Wednesday, March 11, for our next in-person Monthly Meeting!

While the agenda is still being finalized, you can count on leaving with concrete steps to defend democracy and uphold constitutional law in these challenging times.

Connect with fellow community members and make a real difference! Let's work together to protect our democracy and advocate for the issues we care about. Your voice matters!

For those looking to move beyond membership and become a volunteer, attending a meeting and talking with one of our Team Leads is the best way to get involved!

Registration required. Click the links below for more details, ADA information, and registration:

In Person Meeting

Zoom Virtual Meeting

Presented by Northern Michigan Justice Singers (a newly-formed group for positive singing action in support of democracy, justice, and caring for one another.)

Northern Michigan friends and neighbors! You are invited to a Community Sing on Sunday, March 8!!!!

Come learn short, powerful songs by ear that can be sung at peaceful rallies and demonstrations. There will also be opportunities to sing well–known songs together. Our focus is love, hope, peace, and support for one another. Bring your voices and let’s sing! All skill levels and abilities (or non-abilities) welcome!

For more information or event rsvp visit https://facebook.com/events/s/community-sing-for-justice-and/1577171846740142/

Concerned about the direction of our federal government? You're not alone! Let's meet up at Right Brain Brewery on Thursday, February 19, from 5-7pm.

We’re always better together and creating community is what we all need right now!

Come on out for some good conversation, information, and libations. Bring friends or make some new ones among our Traverse Indivisible (Ti) community.

Ti volunteers will be on hand to answer any questions you have about the organization, or how you can get involved in community work on your own.

All are welcome. Free.

For more details, ADA information, and registration (not required), click here.

Join Traverse Indivisible, Wednesday, February 11, for our next in-person Monthly Meeting!

While the agenda is still being finalized, you can count on leaving with concrete steps to defend democracy and uphold constitutional law in these challenging times.

Connect with fellow community members and make a real difference! Let's work together to protect our democracy and advocate for the issues we care about. Your voice matters!

For those looking to move beyond membership and become a volunteer, attending a meeting and talking with one of our Team Leads is the best way to get involved!

Registration required. Click the links below for more details, ADA information, and registration:

In Person Meeting

Zoom Virtual Meeting

At a time when political division feels deeply entrenched, we wanted to share an upcoming community conversation that speaks directly to the work and values we care about.

On Saturday, January 31, the National Writers Series will host Suzanne Mettler, senior professor at Cornell University and co-author of Rural Versus Urban: The Growing Divide That Threatens Democracy, at the City Opera House (with a livestream option). The event will explore why political divisions between rural and urban America have intensified over the past several decades—and what that divide means for the future of our democracy.

Mettler’s research gained national attention following a widely shared interview on The Ezra Klein Show, where she discussed how economic shifts, trade policy, and political organizing reshaped party coalitions across the country. Her work offers important context for understanding where we are now—and what it may take to move forward.

Traverse Indivisible members are invited to attend, and a $5 discount is available using the code Divided when purchasing tickets. (for in-person tickets only)

For tickets and more information click here.

Presented by NoMi Neighbor Network, LEAP, Northwest Michigan DSA, The SALT Coalition, and Beloved 360

Join a coalition of local organizations to discuss mutual aid, and how you can start practicing it in your daily life.

This is a discussion on mutual aid, using Dean Spade's book "Mutual Aid" as a reference point. We encourage you to get a copy or listen to the audiobook, but even if you haven't read the book at all, if you are interested in mutual aid you are welcome to join us.

The event will take place in the McGuire room of the Traverse City library (the room to the left right after you enter). Doors open at 9:30 with coffee and refreshments, and the discussion will start at 10am. They then plan on 2-hours of discussion ending at 12 noon, but there will be time to socialize afterwards with a pot-luck lunch.

This was organized as part of a collaborative effort between the following organizations: NoMi Neighbor Network, LEAP (Local Education & Action Partnerships), Northwest Michigan DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), Beloved 360, and the SALT Coalition (Spiritual Activists Leading Together).

Join in to learn together, build new relationships, and deepen the cooperation and solidarity of existing ones.

Regardless of who you are or where you come from, if you're interested in building community and mutual aid, you are welcome!

More information and registration here.

Canvass for Equality Training – Kickoff 2026

Northern Michigan will play a decisive role in shaping Michigan's future, and in communities like Grand Traverse, Benzie, and Leelanau counties, narrow margins mean every conversation counts.

Join Equality Michigan on January 22 at 6:00 PM for the first Canvass for Equality training of the year. This kickoff session prepares volunteers for spring canvassing — no door-knocking in the snow, just strategic training so you're ready to go in May.

You'll learn:

• Core strategies behind Equality Michigan's organizing work

• Canvassing approach and voter outreach model

• How local engagement drives real change across Northern Michigan

• Ways to plug in, whether you have one hour a week or want to take on leadership

This training is for anyone ready to move beyond the sidelines and make a measurable difference for LGBTQ+ equality. When we organize early, show up consistently, and talk with voters where they live, we protect progress and build lasting political power in our region.

Progress happens because people like you decide to show up. Register today and be part of the movement.

Join Traverse Indivisible, Wednesday, January 21, for our next in-person Monthly Meeting! While the agenda is still being finalized, you can count on leaving with concrete steps to defend democracy and uphold constitutional law in these challenging times.

Connect with fellow community members and make a real difference!

For those looking to move beyond membership and become a volunteer, attending a meeting and talking with one of our Team Leads is the best way to get involved!

Registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance.

A community gathering where connection, creativity, and joyful resistance light the way forward, presented by Betsy Coffia & The GT Dems.

Together, we’ll celebrate the power of coming together as an antidote to political darkness and fuel the energy we need for the work ahead in 2026 and beyond!

The evening will include:

🎵 Silent Disco: Nothing like a good song—one that makes you want to dance—to shake us into action! Thanks to 2BaysDJs, we’ll have a full silent disco experience, with music pumping all night and a dance floor ready for anyone who wants to move.

🎨 Community Art Project: Guests will have the opportunity to participate in a community art project that will be a reflection of our shared values and how we are all connected as we continue the work of promoting and sustaining those values.

Camaraderie: Come be in community with others and engage in small acts of joyful resistance that will keep us uplifted and moving forward together. We know that building strong supportive resilient communities that stand up for each others’ rights and dignity will be the brightest light for the path ahead.

When: January 17th, 2026, 6-10PM

Where: MiddleCoast, 329 State Street, Traverse City, MI

RSVP REQUIRED More information and RSVP here.

All ages welcome.

MiddleCoast will have a late-night menu available with light apps provided by the hosts. Bar will be open with NA drinks available.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Freedom Walk and Celebration.

Presented by Northern Michigan E3 & The Alluvion

Saturday, January 17, 1:30-3 pm meet at Rotary Square and march, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., to the Alluvion. Then at the Alluvion we’ll be joined by Isiah Smith for a Fireside Conversation, and then head over to Bushell’s Kitchen for time to socialize from 3-4:30 pm.

The event is free with donations welcome to the Dream Scholarship Fund.

Presented by Leelanau Indivisible

Mark your calendars! Join the protest on January 17, 11 am to noon, Downtown Suttons Bay. Time for our collective Leelanau voices to roar!

Stand up for Democracy on Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. We’ll line up on St. Joseph’s Street and march against the dictatorship Trump is steadily creating in front of our eyes.

In solidarity: Becca, Becky, Carrie, Derenda, Gera, Jean, Kate, Kathy, Rick, Sara and Tom.

More details available here.

Good Trouble Assembly Please reference Trump’s 2021 January 6th Insurrection and related assaults to people and democracy on your signs. We can be the memory keepers. Lots of American flags and the Blue Line Flags. Co-opt the blue line flag.

The paved pedestrian pathway adjacent to Division can accommodate lots of people. Bring your friends! Share widely!

Drawing on the history of non-violent insistence we stand together to insist on rule of law as the bedrock principle of our constitutional democracy, and the Constitution as the central document encoding our social operating system.