[mgj-announce] Reminder: MGJ Big meeting this Wednesday!

[Catherine Benedict]

Hi everyone,
Just a reminder that this week is BIG meeting #4 for MGJ.  This is 
really important so please come!  We will be discussing proposals for a 
campaign that MGJ will focus on for the next 6 months to a year.  People 
will be bringing concrete proposals to discuss and decide between.  We 
really need everyone's input!
The email that Hope sent out calling for proposals sums it all up - it's 
pasted below.
Catherine

Mobilization for Global Justice General Meeting
Wednesday, November 30, 7-9pm
St. Stephen's Church, 16th & Newton NW
 From the Columbia Heights metro walk north on 14th, turn left on Newton 
and walk until you reach 16th. Enter on the side.  There is wheelchair 
access at the back of the building.


*Call for MGJ Campaign Ideas*

For the past two weeks, MGJ has been deliberating several ideas for a 
new campaign, which would be aligned with certain internal and external 
goals discussed at various strategy sessions. The idea of a campaign 
arose out of questions of developing medium-term goals and a concern 
that MGJ wanted a framework for possible events during the IMF/World 
Bank spring meetings in April 2006, and a greater connection with local 
issues.

On the Nov 30th meeting, we hope that people will come prepared to 
discuss several strong candidates and strategies for an MGJ campaign. 
Below are some "good issue" criteria and specific campaign ideas which 
were discussed at the Nov 16th meeting.

*General Criteria for a "good issue"*

1. Is specific and measurable (we know if we won or not)

2. Is winnable (within reason of our capacity), and serves as a 
springboard for greater movement building

3. Has a target

4. Has potential allies and coalition-building potential

5. Will both use our strength and build new capacity

6. Is deeply and widely felt by our organizers

*More specific internal MGJ criteria that the issue campaign should:*

1. Deepen our linkages and relationships with (strong) local groups 
struggling against structural adjustment here (who are they?);

2. Have a direct link to the WB/IMF and be a logical step towards 
realizing one of MGJ?s demands.

3. Make MGJ bigger (achieving critical mass at our meetings)

4. Make the movement bigger (outside meetings: achieving more folks 
working on our issues, coming to rallies)

5. Make MGJ & movement more diverse (not just who is in the room but 
also groups with whom we?re organizing)

6. Tie into the NGO community more

7. Lend itself to direct action and popular education

8. Will partner us with allies we like and who want to do "our kind" of 
work

9. Will link to and take direction from movements in the global South

*Specific Campaign ideas from Nov 16th*

/*Privatization of DC schools:/ Wouldn?t be starting a campaign ? would 
plug into an existing campaign. Specific and measurable ? Full Funding 
Coalition is calling for devoting funds to public rather than charter 
schools. Proposal to support the world of FFC and others, could tie in 
Tax the Bank.

/*Predatory lending and WBB:/ Would tie personal and international debt. 
Strategy ? identify a financial institution notorious for predatory 
lending AND holds WBB, put pressure on them to drop the WBBs. Possible 
connections with WBB Boycott, AFSC, ACORN, and outreach to DC victims of 
predatory lending.

/*IMF budget ceilings:/ Would tie into under-funding of healthcare in US 
? not enough funding for healthcare either in DC or in the Global South 
because of structural adjustment/neoliberal policies. Goal: to eliminate 
IMF ceilings and whatever DC groups identify as a local demand. Targets 
the IMF, which doesn?t get enough attention.

*Next Steps:*Need to do more research and flesh out these three 
proposals ? have done in two weeks (by 11/30). Basav and Catherine will 
convene school privatization discussion. Matt and Sarah will work on 
budget ceilings. Luke will work on predatory lending.