Subject: Alliance
for Democracy
From: Tim Scanlon <parcival@erols.com>
To the DC Alliance for Democracy:
In alliance, Sue Wheaton
for
the DC Alliance Steering Committee
For
Immediate Release
For more information:
December
5, 2000 Ted
Glick, 973-338-5398
IN WAKE OF UNFAIR ELECTIONS, PROGRESSIVES FROM ACROSS THE U.S.
LAUNCH SERIES OF PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIONS
Over
the weekend of Dec. 2-3, at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside of
Washington, D.C., leaders from close to 50 local, state, regional and national
organizations, a mix of races, ages, and parts of the country and experience in
the struggle, came together for “Progressive Dialogue II.” The main purpose of this annual conference was
to discuss “where do we go from here” as an independent progressive movement in
light of the political energy unleashed over the past year.
This
upsurge began with the creative and effective actions in Seattle and continued
through other mass actions and the Nader/LaDuke campaign, leading to the
current popular dissatisfaction with the present election debacle, particularly
the outright denial of the right to vote for many people of color, especially
in Florida.
Discussions
centered around a “Pro-Democracy Campaign;” the need for race to be placed at
the center of a newly-emerging, 21st Century progressive movement;
finding and linking our various movements; and a call to establish a “shadow
government.” The climate of the discussions was encapsulated by the long-time
civil rights leader, Ms. Victoria Gray-Adams, as “creating a new way of being.”
Ted
Glick, the national coordinator of the Independent Progressive Politics Network
and a co-convener of the dialogue, commented afterwards, “As the nation waits
to find out who will be the next President, it is tremendously encouraging that
groups from around the country have come together to develop a plan to defend
the rights of working people and move towards a real democracy whoever becomes President.
Concrete plans, people prepared to work, energy, and the beginnings of a vision
for the future—as we witnessed here—have inspired me and others to step up the
battle for true freedom.”
The
Pro-Democracy Campaign will be initiated by actions this month and next:
·
PROTEST
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE on Monday, Dec. 18, 2000 at state capitols around the
country.
·
PRO-DEMOCRACY
WEEK from January 15 (Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday) to January 20
(Inauguration Day). Teach-ins, demonstrations, rallies and other forms of
action will be taking place in localities throughout the country during this
week.
·
A
PROGRESSIVE GATHERING in Washington, D.C. January 17-19 being set in motion by
the Progressive Challenge Project of the Institute for Policy Studies. The
Gathering will include speakers and workshops toward the goal of launching
Working Groups and an electronic network that will link progressives across the
country with allies in Congress.
The
specific focus of the Pro-Democracy campaign will be a Voters Bill of Rights:
abolishing the Electoral College, investigating and ending violations of the
Voting Rights Act, clean money elections/campaign finance reform, voting rights
for former prisoners, making voting easier and more reliable, instant runoff
voting, proportional representation, D.C. statehood, access to media and
debates for all ballot-qualified candidates, and non-partisan administration of
elections. People volunteered to establish websites, media portals, listserves
and other technologies to find, link and keep informed the activists and activities
across the country of this emerging movement. These activities are projected as
leading in the near future to what has been christened by former National
Rainbow Coalition Executive Director Ron Daniels as a “Progressive Unity
Conference spearheaded by people of color.” Out of such a conference, or prior
to it, could emerge some form of “Shadow Government” to carry on the
progressive agenda developed in the struggle from Seattle to Nader and beyond. Other
discussion focused on the need to recognize the power of the voices of labor,
youth and seniors, the need to oppose the interconnected systems of domination-class
oppression, white supremacy, patriarchy and heterosexism, and the importance of
incorporating art and culture into our strategies for education and
movement-building.
For
more information on the December 18 protest, contact Global Exchange at
415-255-7296 or nick@globalexchange.org.
For
more information on the January 15-20 Pro-Democracy Week contact the
Independent
Progressive Politics Network at 973-338-5398 or indpol@igc.org.
For
more information on the January 17-19 Progressive Challenge Coalition event in
Washington, D.C., call 202-234-9382, x. 238 or a-quinn@mindspring.com.