[mgj-discuss] MGJ general organizing meeting tonight! Yea!

[Morrigan]

  Hey, hey! The Mobilization for Global Justice is meeting tonight, as 
it does every Wednesday. There are lots of projects and campaigns to get 
involved in and people power is always needed. For example, Paul 
Wolfowitz, the architect of the Iraq war takes over officially as World 
Bank President on June 1st. MGJ is collaborating with some other groups 
in town to be out on June 1st with some spirited street theater. Also, 
did you now that the World Bank and IMF don't pay taxes in DC? They owe 
about 1.2 billion in back taxes! That is unacceptable. Join MGJ in the 
Tax the Bank campaign.

Next General Meeting: Wednesday May 18th
7:00 – 9:00pm St. Stephens Church 16th and Newton St. NW
 From the Columbia Heights Metro walk three blocks north on 14th to 
Newton and take a left by the fire station then walk to the corner of 
16th and Newton. Enter the church on the left side (the big red door). 
(General meetings are every Wednesday)

Loose agenda:
Intros (3)
roles (notes, time etc) (2)
Intro to MGJ/Consensus (5)
Review of notes from last meeting (3)
Updates (10)
- May 26th
- CAFTA
- Bio-dev
- June 1st
Report backs from working groups that met since last general meeting and 
other stuff (10)
- Local to global connections
- Tax the Bank
- Bio-dev
- Fundraising
- September confusion
- Strategy retreat
Discussion on the fall meetings of the World Bank and IMF (45)
- UFPJ, ASNWER and what not
Breakouts (30)
Proposals (10)
Next general meeting/facilitator (s) (2)
Closing

If you wish to add or subtract from the agenda e-mail mgj (at) riseup.net

The Mobilization for Global Justice is committed to making all events 
safe spaces that are open, accessible, and accepting of all. We welcome 
everyone to participate in making this happen. If you have any special 
needs, please let us know.

The Mobilization for Global Justice is a Washington DC based group that 
works on issues of global economic and social justice and 
sustainability. We believe another world is possible and necessary. We 
envision a world free of corporate domination and crushing debt, 
particularly in communities of color. We act to expose and change the 
institutionalized violence wrought by international financial and trade 
institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and 
World Trade Organization.

The Mobilization is committed to nonviolence and recognizes militarism 
as a tool used by the global corporate elite to keep money flowing to 
the privileged few while restricting the rights of people worldwide. We 
oppose corporate practice which places short-term profits ahead of human 
dignity, sustainable development and a healthy earth. We stand for the 
globalization of our rights to speech, thought, religion, assembly, a 
clean environment, self-determination, freedom from fear and persecution 
and freedom from poverty.

We stand for the rights of women, children, elderly, affordable health 
care, strong labor rights and social and economic policies that put 
people and the environment before profits. Finally, we are committed to 
linking the IMF and World Bank policies to similar ones that are being 
implemented in Washington DC which are resulting in decreased access to 
vital human services for DC's most needy residents. To that other 
globalization--the globalization of greed and obscene concentrations of 
wealth--we say that Another World Is Possible and Necessary.

MGJ is a non-hierarchical nonviolent organization of individuals and 
organizations that promotes the arts, conducts workshops, facilitates 
nonviolent direct actions, educates, organizes, campaigns, empowers, and 
aims to rip injustice from its roots.

OUR DEMANDS OF THE WORLD BANK AND IMF:
Open all World Bank and IMF meetings to the media and the public.

Cancel all impoverished country debt to the World Bank and IMF, using 
the institutions' own resources.

End all World Bank and IMF policies that hinder people's access to food, 
clean water, shelter, health care, education, and right to organize. 
(Such "structural adjustment" policies include user fees, privatization, 
and so-called economic austerity programs).

Stop all World Bank support for socially and environmentally destructive 
projects such as oil, gas, and mining activities, and all support for 
projects such as dams that include forced relocation of people.