[mgj-announce] Notes from general meeting - 6/1/2005

[basav at igc.org]

MGJ General Meeting
6/1/2005

A. Reportbacks

1. Meeting with UFPJ:
Group of MGJers met with UFPJ right before our general meeting to discuss
fall actions.
Very short meeting - process felt insulting.
UFPJ representatives were defensive right from the start.
They said the mobilization was scheduled for those dates because of
conflicts with other events but also because of IMF/World Bank meetings.
BUT, they want to retain their core anti-Iraq war message as their core
message.
(More discussion of this in discussion section.)

2. Fundraising:
"Battle of the cake" fundraising party THIS Friday, June 10.
Possibly punk show in July, bluegrass show in August, hip-hop show in
September.
Suggestion to fundraising WG: consider happy hours.

3. Biodemocracy: we have a workshop at the teach-in in Philly on Monday
June 20. Julia, Jeff, Morrigan, and Basav are confirmed presenters.

4. Local-global working group: next meeting on Monday June 13, 7 pm,
location TBA.

5. May 26 picket outside Oxfam reception: Had little picket with signs and
party hats. We touched some raw nerves!

6. June 1 Wolfowitz action:
Great media presence and attention.
Speakers, street theater. 
Attempted to deliver letter signed by 300 organizations, but security
stopped us.
For next time: rehearsing street theater would be good.

7. Website:
Major problem: no access to host server. Peter will try to shift the site
to his own server.
Peter will work with Chris Otten; discuss capabilities, and systems to make
updates easier (and more decentralized) with him.
Will be a "website working group"/training session after Peter resolves
current hosting issues.

8. CAFTA: May be something we can do around July Senate vote, details TBA.

9. Retreat: 
June 25-26.
Need location - Jon looking into spaces. (Since these notes are going out
late: there's an update! Michael from the Media Collective has offered his
place in the Shenandoah Valley. Thank you Michael!!!)
Transportation: Keith and Julia will be driving. But far from everybody
will fit in their vehicles. Need to rent a vehicle?

B. Discussion of UFPJ/Fall:
Need to form working group (see breakout section below).
How hard do we fight them?
They do have a large base that may be worth reaching out to. Worth getting
speakers on their events (rallies, teach-ins). However, not worth our
energy to really put effort into building something that does not address
our issues adequately. 
We should talk to DC NGOs we work with to put pressure on UFPJ, so we're
not the only ones pressuring them.
If UFPJ does not make global economy link, they are shooting themselves in
the foot. By not questioning the economic basis of war, they are hurting
their effectiveness at stopping the war.
How do we reconcile several conflicting objectives/constraints that we
face? We would love to reach the large UFPJ base with our message, BUT we
don't have infinite time and energy to wrestle with them to make sure that
it happens. Particularly because we would like to put energy into doing our
own independent events that weekend as well.
A practical response would be to "draw a line": set a date by which, if we
don't get them to be more inclusive of our message, we put more energy into
organizing our own events, and participate in UFPJ activities only in the
limited sense of doing outreach to their base about our issues, without
putting any energy into organizing with them, building the actions, etc.

C. Breakouts:

1. September Working Group:
Hope to initiate. Will include Hope, Keith, Catherine, Tia, Basav (plus
Julia, Morrigan, Sameer). Face-to-face meeting date will be decided at next
general meeting.

2. Website Working Group:
Peter to initiate. Peter, Hope, Keith, Tia, Catherine, Jon, Katy (plus
Chris).

3. Biodemocracy Working Group:
(Since these notes are going out after the June 2 teach-in, discussion of
the teach-in is omitted.)
May be reconsider doing local action on June 21 - see proposals.
Transportation to Philly - everyone goes independently.
Housing in Philly: check website (www.reclaimthecommons.net) for housing
board. The website does not mention mass housing, but there could be mass
housing. Stay tuned.

4. Fundraising Working Group: Decisions were made about flyers, e-mail,
evite for "Battle of the Cake" fundraising party.

D. Proposal:
It was proposed that "We will not do solidarity action for Biodemocracy on
June 21 unless we have at least 2 people to bottomline it."
Discussion:
Many of us will be in Philly on June 21.
Show of hands found only 1 confirmed and 1 not-so-sure person available to
be at a solidarity action, and hardly anyone available to work on it prior
to the action.
May be it is not that great a media opportunity after all.
Proposal consensed.

E. Flyering for fundraiser at Mt. Pleasant festival: Keith and Jon.

F. Facilitators for next meeting:
Basav will be one of the facilitators - he needs a co-facilitator! Please
contact him (basav at igc dot org/202-997-0479) if you want to facilitate
with him.


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