[mgj-discuss] Notes from MGJ general meeting - 5/11/2005

[basav at igc.org]

MGJ General Meeting
5/11/2005

Julia and Catherine facilitated.

A. Reportbacks

1. Student organizing celebration: Very successful, about 30 students
present. Mainly from Georgetown and GWU, also from AU, Catholic, GMU, and
our very own Jazmin from UDC. Good conversations, open mike. We should do
more such things in the future!

2. CAFTA demonstration: Outside reception with Central American presidents
at U.S. Chamber of Commerce. About 70 protesters, mainly from local
immigrant community. Also two FMLN members of parliament from El Salvador.
Very energetic! We yelled at the motorcades carrying the Presidents as they
arrived. Business delegates had to walk past our picket. Chants mainly in
Spanish.

3. Biodemocracy WG.
Background: Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has its annual
meeting in Philadelphia from June 17-21. Organizers in Philly are holding
"Biodemocracy" protests in response.
(a) Suggesting to Philly organizers to do workshop as part of teach-in in
Philadelphia the weekend of June 17-19. Workshop will be on World Bank,
IMF, Food and Agriculture (general theme: specifics not decided yet), and
will ideally have speakers from Global South.
(b) Media stunt in DC on June 21 outside BIO office.
(c) Local teach-in on June 2 to build for Biodemocracy. Speakers on:
poverty and food access in DC; sustainable agriculture and the challenges
to it in the DC area and US-wide; effects of corporate control of
agriculture on farmers in Global South; and the science behind it all. We
have started contacting possible speakers.

4. Tax the Bank: Meeting on Thursday 5/12, 7 pm, 50 Years is Enough office.

5. June 1 Wolfowitz coronation event: Julia will represent MGJ on
conference call dealing with scenario and with drafting sign-on letter. 

6. Local-Global Strategy Group meeting: Monday May 16, 6:30 pm. Location
TBA.

B. Discussion

1. UFPJ action in the fall
United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), a major national peace coalition, has
proposed a national mobilization in DC on September 24-25, the weekend of
the IMF/WB fall meetings. We had a discussion on how this is both a
challenge and an opportunity.
Opportunities:
(a) Good way to tie together anti-war and economic justice movements.
(b) Anti-war mobilization will bring more people to town, including some
who would not otherwise have come for our actions.
Challenges:
(a) Process concerns - UFPJ went ahead with the decision without consulting
us, even though we are the main community organization on the ground
working on IMF/WB demonstrations. How do we get UFPJ (and others) to take
us seriously enough not to leave us out of such decisions in the future?
(b) Local emphasis - we have expressed interest in emphasizing local issues
(such as Tax the Bank) in our fall actions, and encouraging other local
groups nationwide to do actions in their own communities linking with their
local issues instead of converging on DC. A national mobilization in DC
might detract from the local emphasis, here and elsewhere.
(c) Concerns about how receptive UFPJ will be to integrating the message of
resisting the IMF and World Bank into their events, educational materials,
media work, etc. around the fall demonstrations.

2. May 26th picket: location, time TBA. Sameer will initiate e-mail
discussion to finalize plans. Development GAP will draft the statement that
will be circulated. More info: basav at igc dot org

3. Retreat: 
(a) Date needs to be changed. New date (first preference): June 25-26.
Catherine will send out e-mail with alternate dates as well.
(b) Send Morrigan your agenda items!!!! (phipco at riseup dot net)

4. Biodemocracy:
(a) We need to send title, description, and speakers for workshop in Philly
teach-in to organizers ASAP.
(b) We will officially cosponsor Biodemocracy.

5. June 1 Wolf picket:
(a) We expressed concern with the wolf image (since there's nothing wrong
with wolves, we like them)! So we proposed an alternative of showing a pack
of wolves who expel him for funding dams that destroy wolf habitat, etc. 
(b) We would love to contribute street theater/noise to the picket.

C. Breakouts

1. UFPJ: Sameer, Kendra, and Basav will draft a letter to UFPJ steering
committee proposing that we work in coalition with UFPJ on the fall
demonstrations, to help them integrate the issues of the World Bank and IMF
into their outreach and theme.

2. Biodemocracy:
(a) Larissa will contact St. Stephen's and All Souls churches for space.
(b) Basav has talked to Ellen Kittredge of Center for Food Safety. She is
very supportive, and recommended Doug Gurian-Sherman, the staff scientist
from CFS, as the science panelist. Basav should hear back from him soon.
(c) Ellen also said that she does not know of any Global South person in DC
who can address food/agriculture/corporate control issues.
(d) She also said she can help publicize the teach-in. (Yay!)
(e) Jeff can help with seed patenting issues.
(f) Julia got tabling confirmation from 2 groups.
(g) Catherine has lots of CSA contacts, will follow up with them.
(h) Julia will draft a description of Philly workshop and send out.

D. Next meeting facilitators: Morrigan and Kendra.


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