The following news release was submitted for publication by Maryann Zimmerman who serves as the “county coordinator -Walworth,” as a member of the Urban Rural Action (UR Action) Wisconsin Core Team. Founded in 2018, the organizations states as its mission that it was founded “on the conviction that our geographic, generational, racial, political and other differences in the U.S. are a source of strength.” The organization’s website is here: https://www.uraction.org/. 

“Wisconsinites Uniting for a Safe Election Season” is the focus of a Walworth County gathering of activists to “prevent targeted violence,” according to Urban Rural Action (UR Action), the group organizing the event.

Within a news release, the organization states: “As a tense election season heats up, community members across southeast Wisconsin will be gathering in Whitewater on July 13 to work on county-specific projects aimed at preventing targeted violence in Walworth County.”

According to the release, representatives from Walworth, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine and Kenosha counties will meet in Whitewater to develop plans for their projects, tour a local farm, meet with local lawmakers and “enjoy all that Walworth County has to offer.

“The UPTV will also be meeting again in Kenosha on July 27 for a special event open to the community,” the release states.  “Wisconsinites Uniting for a Safe Election Season is being organized by several organizations committed to strengthening our democratic republic through problem-solving,” the release continued, naming the following organizations as among those involved: Common Agency, Urban Rural Action, WisACT, and the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies.

“I’m excited to bring together such a great team of groups working to build trust in our system. We strongly believe in building relationships across partisan lines, and a big piece of that is bringing people together in defense of our norms and traditions,” David D. Haynes, who co-leads the Wisconsin Alliance for Civic Trust, a cross-partisan citizen network backed by The Carter Center, was quoted as saying in the release.

The release notes that Haynes is a former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editor.

“His co-lead is former Republican Gov. Scott McCallum, according to the release.

The event will be held Saturday, July 27, from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at the Kenosha Civil War Museum.

“This family-friendly event invites all ages to participate in promoting safety and resilience in Southeast Wisconsin before, during, and after the elections. There will be free food, music, a keynote panel, opportunities to support local community initiatives, and interactive workshops to build skills in constructive dialogue, de-escalation, media outreach, and community safety,” the release read.  

Program organizers expect about 100 attendees of various ages, political views, races, and religions, the release noted.

Additionally, the release read: “A highlight of the event will be a photo studio set up by ‘A Peace of My Mind’ for participants to have their portraits taken and share their motivations for working across differences to ensure safe elections. The event will also feature participation by several Wisconsin Uniters, community members in southeast Wisconsin who were selected to work across differences to prevent targeted violence as part of the Uniting to Prevent Targeted Violence in Southeast Wisconsin community action program.”  

“As national attention focuses on Wisconsin and some of the other key ‘battleground’ states during the election, this community event provides an opportunity for Wisconsinites to push against the rhetoric of divisiveness and animosity. We can demonstrate our resilience, connectedness, and shared desire for a safe Wisconsin,” Lisa Inks, senior director at Urban Rural Action, was quoted as saying in the release.   

After lunch, the release stated, the event will kick off with a lively panel of Wisconsin leaders who will share insights into risks and fault lines around the election, as well as opportunities and bright spots for safety and collaboration. Panelists will include leaders from the right and left of the political spectrum, including from Keep Our Republic, All In Wisconsin, the Bridging Divides Institute, WisACT, the CommNS, and Urban Rural Action.  

As stated in the release, “The event is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2023. TVTP works to help prevent incidents of domestic violent extremism, as well as to bolster efforts to counter online radicalization and mobilization to violence.”