[WestMALocals] Fwd: [AriseAction] Invite: Valleywide Spokes, Wed July 5, Noho

[Owen Broadhurst]

GRP folks will wish to attend.

I cannot attend, as I'm meeting with NOW folk in Boston.

OB

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tim Anderson <timothymasonanderson at gmail.com>
Date: Jul 4, 2006 4:28 PM
Subject: [AriseAction] Invite: Valleywide Spokes, Wed July 5, Noho
To: AriseAction at yahoogroups.com

<<please HELP by forwarding to other lists, groups, representatives
and  leaders as appropriate.  thanks!>>

Invitation to the First Valleywide Spokescouncil
July 5, 2006 7-9 PM, at the First Churches
129 Main Street, Northampton

The first meeting of the Valleywide Spokescouncil will occur July 5.
This is not a new organization per se, but a forming group of
representatives of groups or organizations with the goal of building
critical mass to achieve goals the groups are working on or care
about.  The Spokescouncil will meet and grow until it represents the
progressives in the Valley area.  The intent is not to add work, but
to make all of our work more effective.

During the initial informational meetings held in May and June,
attendees raised various issues that the Council, once formed and
representative, might consent to build critical mass around and plan
to act decisively upon -- e.g. Vermont Yankee, ending the Iraq War,
stopping Walmart, sustainable energy and curtailing corporate power.
The representatives who join the council, with the consent of with the
people they represent, will decide what issues to build actions on.

If you are part of a group or organization of 20 or more people in
western Massachusetts and can serve as its spokesperson, you are
invited to join the Valleywide Spokescouncil.

Our intention is to join forces and take practical, effective action
for a better community and world, and to have fun in the process!

We hope that our collective effort will help displace frustration,
fear, and malaise with a sense of community, responsibility, focus,
and effective, practical power.  It's time.

As a quick and easy way of defining our common ground, we ask those
who join this Council to be in general agreement with The Earth
Charter: http://www.earthcharter.org. Its preamble states: We stand at
a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose
its future.  As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and
fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise.  We
must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded
on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice and a
culture of peace.

The Valleywide Spokescouncil leadership will be equally shared by all
present through consensus decision-making based roughly on Formal
Consensus http://www.consensus.net/ocaccontents.html.  The
Spokescouncil will meet monthly, with additional communications and
gatherings as needed.

The organizers of this process, Sandra, Sanford, Lois and Tim, will
not attempt to achieve their personal or organizational preferences
for action while facilitating; we are assuming service roles, taking
responsibility to call the circle, help facilitate meetings and keep
the process moving within the mission of the Valleywide Spokescouncil.

The mass of people eventually represented by the Council will
undertake the most effective series of actions upon which it can
agree.   As a process grounded in consensus we expect that people will
come together with diverse issues they care about, and will find
common ground through sharing and listening.  We will not act until we
have achieved the critical mass necessary for the greatest possible
impact.  We expect that these actions will be diverse in nature, scale
and scope.

If this concept makes sense to you and you feel called to attend this
Council, please RSVP to connect at valleywidespokescouncil.net and join
us.

If you have questions, please see the FAQ at
http://Valleywidespokescouncil.net or call or email any of us.

If you know of others who may meet the qualification of responsibly
representing at least 20 others and should be invited, please invite
them.

With great respect and anticipation,

Tim Anderson (781) 307-2142 timothymasonanderson[at]gmail.com
Lois Barber (413) 549- 8118 lois[at]earthaction.org
Sandra Boston (413) 774-5952 bostons[at]aol.com
Sanford Lewis (413) 549-7333 gnproject[at]earthlink.net


-- 
Owen R. Broadhurst
Candidate for State Representative
Third Hampden District
http://www.owenbroadhurst.org