Peace and Rights Forum Continues:

Report from May 31st Meeting

Peace and Rights Forum Continues:
Report from May 31st Meeting

A group of local activists, educators, health care workers, journalists and others met again on Friday to continue building a local forum for peace and rights. The two-hour meeting included a review of recent local activist events by participants, and an open facilitated discussion about political strategies and planning for future activities.

Review of recent local events:
Public support was strong for street theater at the Lilac Festival(see also http://www.rochesterimc.org/news/2003/05/593.php). Activists successfully used an element of paradox to ‘startle’ some people into paying attention and engaging in discussion of important public issues. Some people actually took the slogan “money for mansions not for education” literally and displayed anger towards the protestors, again facilitating a positive, engaged interaction. The event focused on tax cuts and war contracts that benefit wealthy Americans and corporations, while leaving ordinary people with fewer services.
The Alliance for Democracy held a potluck dinner with presentations from the Coalition for the Prevention of Lead Poisoning and from the Raging Grannies. Members of the Alliance for Democracy are interested in working with our group, as we share interests. At the Granny D event on June 5, Alliance members will propose a local campaign finance strategy, which would seek voluntary adherence by local candidates, focusing on cooperation among candidates.
The Social Welfare Action Alliance (SWAA), a national organization with a local chapter, is actively working on a plan to flood the fair hearing process (where persons denied benefits despite being eligible contest decisions). Teachers and students from Brockport’s social work program will be actively involved in seeking fair hearing participation. SWAA, along with the Rochester Poor Peoples Coalition, also sets up Reality Tours (guided, by bus) to sites relevant to local poverty issues. There are also ongoing attempts by members of many different concerned groups to document and collect the stories of people suffering under the current system. Metro Justice has similarly chosen to prioritize the Monroe County budget cuts as a major focus for activism this year. A new group is organizing at St. Joseph’s house to fight for poor peoples’ interests, possibly focusing on housing issues. Their first meeting was held earlier this week.
All are in agreement that services are under a major attack and ordinary people are suffering. There are ongoing protests at DSS, DHHS and County Legislature by many groups in the city. Members of the group noted the value of persistent, visible activism by people from the House of Mercy.

Open Facilitated Discussion on Political Strategies for Change
It seems that all over the U.S., activists are discussing political strategy. Many agree that there is an urgent need for “regime change at home.” Some argue that we must remove Bush at all costs because he is so dangerous, and focus as much energy as possible on supporting whoever his opponent turns out to be. For others, the difference between Bush and any likely opponent is no choice, and pretending that it is only adds credibility to the present system of neo liberal corporate domination. The local debate mirrors those taking place nationally. For a couple of well-articulated examples written by activists from both perspectives see:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/portside/message/4110 (Chicago peace activists Carl Davidson and Marilyn Katz focus on electoral strategies to get rid of Bush.)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/portside/message/4158 (New York Solidarity member Steve Bloom responds to above, arguing for more broadly oppositional approach.)

In taking up the discourse, participants here in Rochester expressed strongly held views on some points, and acknowledged ambivalence on others. We agreed on the need to work together and build strength among us. Can we work together to get Bush out AND change the system, aiming toward real power for people? The initial discussion helped to identify some key areas:

Neoliberal Ideology
Current expressions of capitalist domination are global, entail a drive toward the commodification of virtually everything, and supercede national sovereignties. All levels of government are permeated by neo-liberal assumptions, and many people in the U.S. are not very critical or thoughtful about challenging ideological statements (e.g. about the economy or taxes or terror threats) reiterated over and over by those in power. One member of the group said that global corporate control is a much larger and more formidable problem than Bush is, attributing some of the problem to Americans’ preferences for their own comfortable lifestyles.

Democracy in U.S. not effective
U.S. democratic structures do not work. In terms of oppositional potential, one member of the group asked, “What are the Democrats doing?” Another responded that the Democrats are frightening, particularly in raising the level of “anti-terror” and pro-war rhetoric. Others wondered about the non-response of Democrats to the theft of the 2000 presidential election.
Some specific reform proposals for improving the chances of representation were named. For example, campaign finance reform and ensuring an equal right to vote were identified as important. Workers from the House of Mercy have a long history of voter registration and get out the vote drives – and they have experience with discrimination against voters who were correctly registered.
In the present system, there is no opposition party, and votes do not count. The group discussed some alternative strategies such as the campaign to impeach Bush and the prosecution of U.S. leaders for war crimes in Iraq. More broadly, the need for people to create new structures for discussion and decision-making was raised.

Serious, urgent concern for our future
This group continues to meet and build momentum because we are seriously concerned about prospects for the future. A social work student suggested that we launch a campaign on two fronts: No to Bush AND education/activism around capitalist globalization. The goals of this approach would be to get Bush out and at the same time build progressive structures to change the system and achieve power for people.

Proposals and Possible Group Activities

Organize a public forum on the issues and concerns that we began discussing tonight.

Organize a “Rochester Social Forum” modeled on the world social forums that are held in parallel with meetings of global powers (e.g. parallel with and in opposition to the World Economic Forum). Ours would be locally oriented and include diverse groups that are working locally to promote social change and meet needs of people rather than seek profit and economic expansion. One of the purposes of the forum would be to educate ourselves so that we would be better able to educate others.

During the discussion on the failure of U.S. democracy, members of Indymedia agreed to show a film documenting the Florida election at the House of Mercy. “Counting on Democracy”, feature Greg Palast, is documentary that describes the illegal maneuvering surrounding the internationally scandalous 2000 US presidential election.

Go to the community – hold events (cook-outs, discussions, etc?) at different locations. If other groups would like to have us, we will come.

Next Meeting:
Friday, June 13 at 5:30 pm
St. Joseph’s House, 402 South Avenue
food provided