[mgj-announce] MGJ 12/21 meeting minutes

[Robert Weissman]

From: jonjon7s at yahoo.com

Mobilization for Global Justice General Meeting Dec.
21

Contents:
1. Updates
2. Popular Education and Direct Action
3. April

NO meeting Dec. 28
NEXT meeting Jan. 4

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Updates:

People’s Property (Empower DC - Monday): lots of
people testified, which ended up being at the same
time of and nearly the same place as a mayoral press
event to boost the stadium, so many people had a loud
protest that stole the limelight and the vote has been
put off.

IMF Action (50 Years is Enough Network, Jubilee USA,
Africa Action – Tuesday): The Grinch Who Stole Debt
Cancellation from 6 Countries: Leaked IMF document,
threats against the debt deal for 6 countries for
arbitrary reasons. Street theater in the park, then a
picket at the new IMF building. Generated more than
20,000 (twenty thousand) emails and thousands of phone
calls from the US alone, to the directors of the IMF
in advance of their meeting to decide on the deal.

IMF decided not to block the debt deal, except for
Mauritania (the Fund claims the government lied to
them- but that was the previous 21-year regime, which
was recently toppled, and it’s not like the IMF
doesn’t lie itself)

Website: Training tentatively scheduled for Monday
January 9th, in the evening. Contact Catherine if
interested ( catherinebenedict *[at]* earthlink
(.dot.) net)


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Popular Education and Direct Action:

-General feeling for time is 4-6 months, and an
evaluation at that point to assess progress and decide
next steps
-Brainstormed timeline through June (ideas recorded on
large paper)
-Brainstormed themes, targets, opportunities.

Proposal: That we come up with a series of education
events and direct actions organized by sector
(education, healthcare, etc.), with factsheets that
tie each issue together with the elements of
neoliberalism, on a roughly 6 week schedule: January
to mid February (keeping in mind we have NCOR
workshops at the start of February),
Education/schools. Mid February to March 19:
War/IMF-WB in Iraq. March 20 – actions in April: TBD.
April to June: TBD.

Consensus reached with no concerns after brief
discussion of implementation specifics.


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Discussion of April:
-Jubilee South has made a draft call for worldwide
direct actions April 15-23 in the run up to the Spring
Meetings.
-Brainstorm on what people would want to do around the
Spring Meetings.

Proposal:
-That we issue a save the date announcement in
response to the draft Global South call to action.

Consensus reached (and announcement has already been
made)


NO meeting Dec. 28
NEXT meeting Jan. 4