[Convention] Fwd: Panels Re: [statecom] HELP/Convention planning
David Rolde
davidrolde at comcast.net
Mon Aug 28 17:47:15 EDT 2006
for discussion regarding workshops/panels at the convention
Begin forwarded message:
> From: "John Walsh" <jvwalshmd at gmail.com>
> Date: August 20, 2006 2:10:03 PM EDT
> To: "State Committee Official Business" <statecom at green-rainbow.org>
> Subject: Re: Panels Re: [statecom] HELP/Convention planning
> Reply-To: State Committee Official Business <statecom at green-
> rainbow.org>
>
> Hello Ron,
> I am interested in a work shop of that sort. I am concerned that we
> have a base of about 10,000 (OK, 9509) and that we are not in frequent
> contact with them. Nor do we have a set of tasks that we can ask them
> to do - including making a contribution since the GRP is
> cash-challenged.
> If we cannot set these people in motion, then we will go nowhere. How
> can we dream of engaging hundreds of thousands of voters when we have
> not moved the base? And it can be done. Look at the wonderful
> response we got for the signature gathering.
> I have been trying very hard to do something on this but except for a
> beer with Dan soon to discuss thing, I really have not made any
> progress. This is quite frustrating. And it seems that if there is a
> volunteer (me) who is aching to do some things, and he is not engaged,
> we are really not in good organizational shape.
> I see what Rand Wilson (WFP) is doing and what PDA is doing, and I see
> that they have themselves together. And maybe the GRP does too - but
> I am unable to see it. And I am trying hard.
> So let us have a workshop like that, or maybe the Comcom could do one.
> jw
>
>
>
> On 8/20/06, Ron Francis <ronwf777 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> On Panel on Palestine:
>>
>> We need to be careful about panels that Include "Israeli"
>> "peace" movements activists - a large number of these folks
>> support the the Jewish-priviledge (legalized racism, i.e.
>> apartheid ) aspect of life in what is today called "Israel". This
>> would be like asking for a representative from the white Afrikaner
>> anti-apartheid movement to talk on an anti-aparthied panel - not
>> that we shouldn't do it - but lets' be careful.
>>
>> There are people, from all backgrounds, that hold an anti-racist
>> position on Palestine but they are still probably in the minority
>> in all ethnic cross-sections of US society except for Arab
>> Americans and Native Americans. (although this is slowly
>> changing...)
>>
>> They are a minority inside of the Jewish so-called "peace"
>> movement. Rabbi Lerner for example (the most prominent member of
>> the Jewish "peace" movement) supports a Jewish State with equal
>> rights for all people - an oxymoron. Jews for Justice in
>> Palestine reject the Right of Return for Palestinians and support
>> the "two-state" (racist) solution to the conflict. I could
>> continue to list "peace" activists that are hold racist views -
>> these folks refuse to give up on the apartheid nature of "israel"
>> and dsicriminate against Palestinians regarding application of
>> basic human rights law.
>>
>> Let's invite people, of any background, who support our ten key
>> values and our anti-racist position on the conflict. We don't
>> invite pro-life people to our conventions, or homophobes. Let's
>> be sure not to invite people who are racist.
>>
>> The middle east conflict is between those who support human
>> rights and international law and those who do not. The ethnic
>> background of the people on the pro-human rights side or the anti-
>> human rights side is secondary. Nevertheless, if we want a Jewish
>> perspective on the Middle East, let's be sure to invite people who
>> are not racist.
>>
>> I think another topic of discussion, and maybe even more useful
>> than a Palestine discussion (which we had already at last year's
>> convention, by the way, given by a Palestinian and a non-racist
>> Jewish person), would be about the role that the US, and US
>> corparations plays in the other countries in the region such as
>> Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt,... in order that people begin to
>> get a better and more comprehensive understanding of US interests
>> in the region....with the hope that eventually we can articulate a
>> more comprehensive analysis of our relationship to the Arab and
>> Muslim world - an analysis which is sorely needed and arguably the
>> most important US foreign policy question to consider.
>>
>> The reality is that most folks in the US have no idea what our
>> interests are in the region and why it is that the US decision-
>> makers have made certain decisions.
>>
>> Most folks have no idea what our relationship to Saudi Arabia or
>> to Iran is all about, who are the people in these countries who
>> the US supports and why, not to mention the lack of democratic and
>> civil rights in these countries. Most folks don't know the
>> economic and political relationships that the US has with elites
>> in these countries.
>>
>> I would invite Naseer Aruri of UMASS to speak on this topic -
>> "US interests in the Middle East region and how it affects US
>> policy toward each country in the region". This is a tall order
>> but I beleive that Naseer Aruri could do it. I will make a short
>> list of others who I think can take on this topic.
>>
>> And while we are on the topic of panel disucssions, is there
>> going to be one on the plusses and minues of different local
>> organizing strategies - the heart and soul of what our party needs
>> to be about ? If it's not too late, I would be willing to co-
>> organize such a workshop looking at the different methods of
>> building local Green bases or just local social justice
>> organizations period, successful and not successful, that have
>> been used in MA and elsewhere. Anyone interested ?
>>
>> ron
>>
>> Merelice <merelice at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> I think a panel about building/strengthening a non-violent resistance
>> movement would be in keeping with the Party's Key Values and would be
>> an important component to lift up in our various statements and
>> activities in support of Palestine. I also believe it's time to
>> include members of the Jewish and Israeli Peace movements. Gordon
>> Davis in Worcester has organized several Mideast panels and included
>> Jews as well as Arabs. He should probably be consulted for
>> suggestions.
>>
>> Alisa also suggested Hannah Mermelstein as a possibility. I have met
>> Hannah on one of her trips back to the U.S. She spends much (maybe
>> most) of her time in Palestine. I'm on her email list and have
>> resisted deluging Party lists with her reports though I recently
>> might
>> have sent one of them. She did a Powerpoint presentation at one of
>> Mel
>> King's Sunday brunches, and the photos were powerful. Mel, himself,
>> has been part of a couple of fact-finding trips to Palestine and met
>> with Yasser Arafat.
>>
>> It would make sense to have some of our communications-oriented
>> members like Jim Henderson and Colby Peterson have input into this
>> workshop and/or panel.
>> Merelice
>>
>>
>>
>> On 8/19/06, David Rolde wrote:
>> > I am concerned about inviting someone who is an Israeli citizen and
>> > former IOF soldier who may be a left-zionist (I'm not saying that
>> > Alisa definitely is a left-zionist. I just have not seen any
>> evidence
>> > of her positions on several key issues in the material Owen sent
>> > about her). I know Palestinians who I could ask to do a workshop.
>> > I'll call Owen and we will figure this out.
>> >
>> > - David
>> >
>> > On Aug 19, 2006, at 2:40 PM, Owen Broadhurst wrote:
>> >
>> > > I noted Convention Committee minutes indicating that I was
>> arranging a
>> > > workshop (presumably with Alisa Klein). This is the first I've
>> > > heard of this
>> > > news, but I'm quite willing to do this.
>> > >
>> > > Does the Convention Committee wish for me to contact and
>> invite Alisa?
>> > >
>> > > OB
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