[mgj-announce] Upcoming meetings; notes from 4/7 General Meeting

Fri Apr 9 10:15:25 EDT 2004

MGJ GENERAL MEETING NOTES
April 7, 2004

We had good turnout again this week; thanks to everyone who made it out.  
Next week, we'll return to St. Stephen's Church:

Wed. APRIL 14:
At St. Stephen's Church, 16th & Columbia NW, DC
Corporate Personhood & Power
* 6 pm Chris Doran, PressurePoint.org
Why do corporations have more rights than people?  What's that mean for 
global trade and democracy? What can we do to change this?
* 7 pm Formal Presentation (TBA)
Njoki & Matt will be facilitating.

UPCOMING WORKING GROUP MEETINGS
===============================
Logistics: Mon 6PM Cafe Mawonaj 624 T Street NW, 2 blocks away from 
Shaw-Howard University Metro
Fundraising: Mon 4/12 7:30 Cafe Mawonaj hope-at-50years-dot-org
Outreach: Tues 6:00-7:00 50YIE office office basement (go around side of 
the building)
(3628 12th St., NE, near Brookland/Catholic U Metro stop on redline)
Saturday Scenario: 7:00-8:30 Tues 4/13 50YIE
Friday Scenario: davidlevy-at-cepr-dot-net
Media: conference call TBA: herb-at-takomavillage-dot-org
Arts: Sun 4/11 1:00-5:00 "doghouse" nbloch-at-igc-dot-org
(see directions below)

OTHER EVENTS
------------
Fri 4/16 7:00 PM - Pressure Point film: Exxon coalmining displacing & 
bulldozing the town of Tabaco, Colombia
 - 1202 Euclid St. NW (Chloe's house) - food & wine provided
Sat. 4/10 2:00-4:30 - Profits of Doom film
 - Festival Center 1640 Columbia Rd., NW  FREE
Mon. 4/12 6:00-8:30 - Corporate Globalization, the FTAA and What YOU Can 
Do About It with 
 - Chucho Garcia, Founder of the Afro-Venezuelan Network
 - TransAfrica Forum, 1426 21st Street, NW, Second Floor, Washington, DC
4/21-27: Public Citizen's Water Justice Film Festival 
www.citizen.org/filmfest

WORKING GROUP REPORT BACKS + RESULTS FROM BREAK OUTS:
====================================================

LOGISITCS
---------
People coming to town for the mobilization 4/21-4/25 will be able to stay 
at St. Steven's Church Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday nights.
Saturday night (after the festival) St. Stevens will NOT be available.
We NEED more local people to volunteer housing for out-of-towners
Housing & ride boards are up at globalizethis.org
Foods Not Bombs NEEDS food

OUTREACH
--------
We NEED people to attend other DC activist events and pass out flyers.
See calendar of events at http://protest.net/dcimc/index.cgi
For example, there is a Fair Trade event this Saturday!
People should collaborate so as not to duplicate flyering efforts (of 
course no need to worry about duplicating attendance!  as many people who 
want to go...)
(Yes, our event will be added to the calendar soon.)

Co-sponsoring DAWN teach-in 4/20 evening (7? 7:30?).
Consensus voted for go ahead.
Will not involve much MGJ effort (DAWN is doing most of the work).
Anyone interested in helping out may visit DAWN's website
We will help advertise
speakers will include DAWN, MGJ, activists from the global south

Wheatpasted (put up flyers in) 3 areas after the meeting -- may do more 
this weekend -- perfectly legal!

6800 name database obtained from old globalizethis ("A16") list + 
Democratic National Convention protests (LA '00) + '02 protest of 
Israel-Palestinian conflict
David will send out a rallying e-mail soon

Zach will phone anyone who has ever shown up to a MGJ meeting (~120 
people)

Next conference call:
Monday 4/12 5:30
585-295-5551, access: 8401645#

SCENARIO
--------
The working group has been split in two: Friday 4/23 & Saturday 4/24

Saturday 4/24 -- The meeting point & festival HAVE BEEN MOVED one block 
away to FRANKLIN PARK.
See more details, including a map of the preliminary route at:
http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~coe/MGJ/festival.html
3 speakers, followed by march, & festival: games, poetry, really REALLY 
free market as in Miami
Still NEED organizations to bottom line (sponsor) booths: want about 8, 
have 2 already

Friday 4/23 a civil disobedience demonstration is being planned.
Achieved consensus vote for go ahead.
It will be kept small to help minimize the number of MGJ'ers in jail on 
Saturday!
Probably 12-2 so as not to conflict w/ 50YIE's program that day.
Act Up non-violent guidelines will be taught & followed
Legal & Medical should be notified
Obviously, we are not trying to keep this under low profile (the 
possibility of such a demonstration was also mentioned at the press 
conference Thursday)

ARTS & ACTION
-------------
rehabbing puppets ever Sunday 1-5 at the "doghouse"
Turnout has been low.

Directions to the DOGHOUSE:

by METRO: 1 mile from Takoma Metro, walk down Carroll Ave towards the 
7-11, keep going, @ the TPSS Coop, go Right on Sycamore, Left on Beech, 
garage behind 405 Beech Ave.

DRIVING: Beech is a one block long street between Sycamore and Woodland 
Aves, both of which run between Route 410/East West Highway and Elm Ave.  
Sycamore is next to TPSS Coop on 410! From WDC, take 13th to Piney Branch, 
Right on 410/East West Highway/Philadelphia @ Firehouse go Left, get in 
Right Lane, go Right onto Sycamore, Left on Beech, garage behind 405 Beech 
Ave.

email or call if you need more info!!! Bring SNACKS, drinks if you want...
and friends!
Nadine: nbloch-at-igc-dot-org
301-891-3680

FUNDRAISING
----------
NEED more in-kind contributions: sound equipment, stage, paper, 
photocopying
Contact hope-at-50years-dot-org
Already have some housing & welcome center (NEED more housing)
House party volunteers?  Have raised $300 so far.  2 more coming up.
Emergency grants?
 - Foundations: NEED e-mail suggestions by Friday!
     2 foundations ruled out, still working on 1
 - Budget requirements from working groups also NEEDED by Friday 
(necessary for Foundation proposals)
 - Annual MGJ Budget must be compiled at some point
     MGJ is not 501c-3, so NEED fiscal sponsor
     Right now have Washington Peace Center, but they charge 7.5%
     Mike from Baltimore may have a free one for us
Pressure Point world music CD sale: $5 of every $15 sale will go to toward 
this mobilization
Donate Online button now up at globalizethis.org
A hat was passed at this week's meeting for the first time thanks to 
Njoki's suggestion

MEDIA & MESSENGING
------------------
News Conference at National Press Club Thursday 12:30

OPENNESS & ACCESSIBILITY - ensuring open MGJ meetings
------------------------
Organizers have left the country, some involuntarily