Organizing around September 11, 2001

[colist-admin at comm-org.utoledo.edu]

[ed:  it is so heartening to see people beginning to organize 
around the many issues generated from September 11.  This 
message includes posts from Doug, Mary, and a forwarded 
post from Jill.]

From: "Doug Hess" <DHess at frac.org>

Very quick thoughts: One thing I think many participants on 
this list may want to specialized in keeping on top of, 
regarding victims' needs, will be those needs of very low wage 
workers and their families. Many of these workers may not 
have life insurance, be here illegally, or not qualified for Food 
Stamps even if they are legal immigrants, etc.  I'm sure others 
can think of other needs of thousands (tens of thousands) of 
low-income workers who might lose their jobs due to this 
event (small businesses closing, or janitors and window 
washers of large businesses laid off, etc.). Will they qualify for 
special benefits as well?   

FRAC is working on some research on this matter and we 
hope to have something up on the web soon. If others find 
materials on this angle, please let us know. If you respond to 
the whole list, please CC me at dhess at frac.org so that I don't 
miss it. Thanks.  

Doug Hess
Senior Policy Analyst
Food Research and Action Center
1875 Connecticut Ave, NW #540
Washington, DC 20009
ph. 202-986-2200 ext 3004
fax 202-986-2525
http://www.frac.org

************************

From: "Mary S. Dailey" <NWBCCC at igc.org>

The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition a 27 
year old grassroots oranization which develops leaders 
through tenant, block and congregation based organizing is 
organizing one major and several small interfaith services and 
disscussions to help create a climate that will deter backlash. 
 
************************

From: "Jill Chopyak" <Chopyak at Loka.org>

This was forwarded to me, and I thought it resonated with 
many of the discussions about grassroots responses to the 
current crises.  

Jill Chopyak
The Loka Institute

> > Many of us wesleyan students have been gathering the 
past couple days
and
> dicussing tuesday's events. We are presently planning to 
have a
> nationwide action next thursday (sep. 20) from 12pm-1pm to 
show our
> commitment to thorough, peaceful justice, and rational 
punishment
> through channels of
law
> as opposed
> to retaliatory violence.
>
> Many of us feel that the media is only dicussing reactions 
which
> advocate retaliation, war and other rash measures. We want 
to get in the
> media as advocates of taking the rational, compassionate 
path so that
> the public
and
> government know this sentiment is highly apparant on 
college campuses.
>
> What you can do to help us
> 1) come to thursdays action next week from 12-1
> 2) help spread the news about the action around the 
campus and nation
> wide The way we are spreading this action to other 
campuses is by having
wesleyan
> students e-mail their friends at other universities. If you could
> forward
the
> following message and the attached document to all you 
friends that go
> to school elsewhere, that would be a huge help! (read the 
document so
> you
know
> what
> you're sending)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dear friends,
>
> Have you been feeling helpless in light of Tuesday's events? 
HELP US
> OUT. Students at Wesleyan University, CT have been 
meeting the last
> couple of days to discuss the following theme:
>
> In response to the events of September 11th, we affirm our 
commitment to
> THOROUGH and PEACEFUL JUSTICE, as opposed to 
retaliatory violence.
>
> -WE KNOW that most colleges around the nation are also 
having this
> discussion.   In light of the Bush administration's focus on
> retaliation,
we
> feel a DIRE
> NEED FOR THIS SENTIMENT BE HEARD.
>
> -Because of this we are calling for a NATIONWIDE ACTION 
ON CAMPUSES for
> THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20 from 12pm-1pm to show our 
commitment to thorough
> and peaceful justice, as opposed to retaliatory violence.
>
>  -WE NEED YOUR HELP. The more schools involved, the 
more media
> coverage we get.
> WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO HELP SET UP THIS ACTION 
AT YOUR SCHOOL. Even if you
are
> personally not able or willing to organize an action, please 
spend a few
> minutes to find out who at your school WOULD be willing to 
and forward
this to
> them. (also forward any friend you have at other schools. 
spread the
> word!!!)
>
> specifics:
>
> 1) We are in the process of setting up a web page which will 
have
Wesleyan's
> statement and plan of action to use as an example, and a 
list of schools
who
> are also planning actions and how to contact them. This 
web page will
probably
> be up by late Saturday/Sunday. The address will be:
> http://www.peacefuljustice.cjb.net
>
> 2) Once your school has received this e-mail and begun to 
plan an action
> please CHOOSE A CONTACT PERSON AND E-MAIL US at
peacefuljustice at hotmail.com
> with the info of the contact person. You can also e-mail if 
you have any
> questions. We will e-mail you back ASAP.
>
> 3) The idea is to have solidarity in the time (thusday, sep 20,
> 12pm-1pm) and message of the action. What you would like 
to do is up to
> each campus.
WE
> ARE RELYING ON YOU TO PLAN IT.
>
> vital things to be done when planning your action:
>
> a) Contact the media! This is of paramount importance. 
Local and
> National media. Let them know about this day of action 
(sep. 20) and our
> message. your school's media contact person should get in 
touch with
> sarah at snorr at wesleyan.edu or 860.344.8782 to work on 
coordinating
> media
messaging.
>
> b) make the message clear. We will be posting Wesleyan's 
mission
> statement on the web page. You can adopt your own, but it 
would be nice
> to have conformity on  the following issues:
>  -GLOBAL/international Peace and unity
>  -consideration of underlying reasons why/examination of 
US foreign
>  policy -set a precedent of International action/our position is
>  important and consequential/ALL civil liberties need to be 
enforced
>  -use rationality and compassion, not hate and haste/avoid 
reliance on
> emotional manipulations
>  -do not alter the event at hand to infer a need for star wars,
>  unlimited military spending or oil drilling in arctic -the long 
term
>  choice at hand is NOT only about security OR civil
> liberties, it is the opportunity for prudence and caution 
based on the
> 'sanctity' of all
>  life and peaceful justice.
>  - react to the needs of the precise situation- terrorism is an 
act of
>  terrorism,not an act of war/not evidence of a country's attack
>  -appropriate channels of law for those directly responsible 
(reasonable
>  alternatives to war) -opposition to backlash against any 
people
>  -condolences/ "correct" form of justice wanted/needed -
"injustice
>  anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." MLK Jr.
>
>  *It is important to keep in mind, with the present state of 
fear and
anger,
>  that we ARE NOT saying that the peoples responsible for 
Tuesdays
> events should not be punished, but that they should be 
punished
> according
to
> the
> channels of law. And furthermore we SHOULD NOT PUNISH 
groups of innocent
> people (i.e. whole nations)for individual crimes.
>  *while we ARE against terrorism and terrorists, our focus is 
on being
> anti-terror
> *include what we are doing: ie. student solidarity, voice, 
opposition,
>  affirmation, and hope in your mission statement
>
> c) We feel it is also very important that we reach out and 
INVOLVE EACH
> SCHOOL'S LOCAL COMMUNITY in this action.
>
> d) Involve the faculty.
>
> TIPS:
>
>  1) At Weslyan we are using Monday-Wednesday to have 
smaller actions
> (tabling, speak out/music at the campus center) to inform 
the campus
> about Thursday.
>
>  2) We are creating a resolution/ petition for all students to 
sign.
> A goal for the future is to put pressure of the administration 
to adopt
this
> resolution
>
>  3) We are setting up stations at Thursday's action where 
people can
>  send
> this resolution/ petition to their individual representatives. It is
> important to
>  have addresses available:
>  **Go to www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm to find your 
state
>  senator's address.
>
>  4)We are working on coordinating a unity symbol, such as 
wearing
armbands.
>  If you have suggestions, please email us with ideas. The 
final idea,
based
> on  the most popular suggestion, will appear on the website.
>
>  FINALLY
>  -Remember to let us know your school is involved by e-
mailing
>  peacefuljustice at hotmail.com
>  -Forward this to everyone you know, high schools should 
be involved too
>  -Any questions? e-mail peacefuljustice at hotmail.com
>
> -------------------------------------------------
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>
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>
> Heba Sinclair
> Assistant Manager
> Professional Development Resource Center
> SIT
> (802) 258-3170
> heba.sinclair at sit.edu
>

> --------- End Forwarded Message ---------
>