Every Monday, a small group of residents gathers outside the Bridgeport Transportation Center to discuss community issues, ranging from military spending to housing and food insecurity.
Peace Pact’s Mission
The grassroots organization, Peace Pact, aims to promote mutual aid, community engagement, and a shift away from militarism towards investments in people’s everyday needs.
Founder Benjamin Wesley said, ‘We are trying to fulfill Dr. King’s dream by saying, Hey, look, man, we can’t keep doing this over and over again.’ Wesley believes the train station is an ideal location for these conversations, as it is a place where residents from different backgrounds pass each other every day.
Bridgeport resident Jonathan Mejia, who joins the weekly gatherings, said, ‘I’m definitely trying to just be more active in Bridgeport and kind of try and bring them together.’ Mejia believes community involvement is one way to address the challenges many residents face.
Civic Engagement
The weekly gathering has also become a meeting place for members of other advocacy organizations, including Healthcare Workers for Palestine and Doctors Against Genocide.
Clinical social worker Stephanie Caro said, ‘People are still dying, their children are still dying… They’re living in tents, they’re exposed to the elements, there’s no sanitation, there’s very little food.’ Caro continues to show up to keep attention on what she views as an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Peace Pact members acknowledge they’re unlikely to change minds with a single conversation, but they believe showing up consistently matters.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
