Hey everyone! I hope your holiday was well. 2 things!<br><br>1. Occupy Richmond would like to use the Library this Thursday for a film screening. It would probably be another education deal about OWS and why it is important. I think this would be a great chance for us to show some of the folks that have been involved what radicalism in Richmond looks like, and show that there has been work going on in this city for a long time. Hopefully we can get some new interest in the space this way, and get some more help to do great stuff! If anyone has concerns or guidelines we'd like to set up for them, lets discuss it on here as much as possible, or maybe even meet this week? My main concern is that there have been a lot of unaddressed problems in their space as well as the fact that they usually try and film everything they do, so we need to get those things addressed somehow.<br>
<br>2. At our last meeting, we decided to endorse the Virginia People's Assembly this year. Part of that endorsement involves getting more groups to endorse it, as well as to turn some people out to a meeting for planning logistics, and getting people to come to the networking conference that weekend. So here is the forwarded message and call, please circulate it where you can!<br>
<br><b>Also, our last meeting was canceled because of Thanksgiving, so do we want to have it this Thursday? Or just wait until our next scheduled one on December 5th?</b><br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>
From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Nathan Stickel</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:usthedandylions@yahoo.com">usthedandylions@yahoo.com</a>></span><br>Date: Sat, Nov 26, 2011 at 8:44 PM<br>Subject: Fw: Note to Endorsers of the 2012 VPA - Time to get organized!<br>
To: Me Me <<a href="mailto:incoherentnickle@gmail.com">incoherentnickle@gmail.com</a>><br><br><br><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="font:inherit" valign="top"><br><br>--- On <b>Sat, 11/26/11, Phil Wilayto <i><<a href="mailto:philwilayto@earthlink.net" target="_blank">philwilayto@earthlink.net</a>></i></b> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="border-left:2px solid rgb(16,16,255);margin-left:5px;padding-left:5px"><br>From: Phil Wilayto <<a href="mailto:philwilayto@earthlink.net" target="_blank">philwilayto@earthlink.net</a>><br>Subject: Note to Endorsers of the 2012 VPA - Time to get organized!<br>
To: "Hermelinda Cortes" <<a href="mailto:hermelindacortes@gmail.com" target="_blank">hermelindacortes@gmail.com</a>>, "Breanne Armbrust" <<a href="mailto:bmarmbrust@aol.com" target="_blank">bmarmbrust@aol.com</a>>, "Kwame Binta" <<a href="mailto:Kwamebinta@hotmail.com" target="_blank">Kwamebinta@hotmail.com</a>>, "Lillie Branch-Kennedy" <<a href="mailto:RIHD23075@aol.com" target="_blank">RIHD23075@aol.com</a>>, "Rain Burroughs" <<a href="mailto:rainmadeline@aol.com" target="_blank">rainmadeline@aol.com</a>>, "Mark Barbour" <<a href="mailto:marbarbou@aol.com" target="_blank">marbarbou@aol.com</a>>, "Margaret Breslau" <<a href="mailto:homebody@home-body.net" target="_blank">homebody@home-body.net</a>>, "Ana Edwards" <<a href="mailto:ourrosewood@comcast.net" target="_blank">ourrosewood@comcast.net</a>>, "Nathan Stickle" <<a href="mailto:usthedandylions@yahoo.com" target="_blank">usthedandylions@yahoo.com</a>>, "Ricardo Juarez" <<a href="mailto:ricardo@mexicanossinfronteras.org" target="_blank">ricardo@mexicanossinfronteras.org</a>>, "John Steinbach"
<<a href="mailto:johnsteinbach1@verizon.net" target="_blank">johnsteinbach1@verizon.net</a>>, "Teresita Jacinto" <<a href="mailto:tjacinto5@comcast.net" target="_blank">tjacinto5@comcast.net</a>>, "Rev. Rodney Hunter" <<a href="mailto:rmhpreach@aol.com" target="_blank">rmhpreach@aol.com</a>>, "Gary Sandman" <<a href="mailto:garysandman@cox.net" target="_blank">garysandman@cox.net</a>>, "Adria Scharf" <<a href="mailto:scharf@rpec.org" target="_blank">scharf@rpec.org</a>>, "Paul Fleisher" <<a href="mailto:pfleishe@earthlink.net" target="_blank">pfleishe@earthlink.net</a>>, "David Swanson" <<a href="mailto:david@davidswanson.org" target="_blank">david@davidswanson.org</a>>, "Sister Janet" <<a href="mailto:onerastaqueen@hotmail.com" target="_blank">onerastaqueen@hotmail.com</a>>, "Phil Wilayto" <<a href="mailto:philwilayto@earthlink.net" target="_blank">philwilayto@earthlink.net</a>>, "Kenneth Yates" <<a href="mailto:causticcastle@gmail.com" target="_blank">causticcastle@gmail.com</a>><br>
Date: Saturday, November 26, 2011, 8:25 PM<br><br><div><div><font color="#000000"><font size="2"><font face="arial,sans-serif">
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in">Dear
friends,</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font>T</font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">his
note is going out to the endorsers of the Call for the 2012 Virginia
People's Assembly.</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">It's
time to start organizing for this 4</font><sup><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">th</font></sup><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">
and possibly most important VPA. </font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">We
already have the basic structure:</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><u><b>Initial
Call:</b></u></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"> See the
attached file. This Call was published in the Autumn 2011 issue of
The Virginia Defender. </font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><u><b>16
Endorsers:</b></u></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"> The 14
organizations and individuals who first signed the Call, plus two
more: the Plowshare Peace Center in Roanoke and the Flying Brick
Library in Richmond. (See attached list for names, organizations and e-mail addresses.)</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><u><b>General
Theme:</b></u></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>
</b></span></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none">“</span></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">Jobs,
not War!” Under this general heading we will include all the
demands the VPA has been known for: prisoner rights, just immigration
reform, no layoffs or cutbacks for state workers, defend the rights
of unions, women, the LGBTQ community, students, veterans and more. </font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><u><b>Date:</b></u></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>
</b></span></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Saturday,
Jan. 14</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><u><b>Location:</b></u></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
Conference and rally at St. Stephen's Church, 505 N. 33</span></span></font><sup><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">rd</span></span></font></sup><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
St., Richmond, VA 23223. This is the African-American church where we
met last year. Pastor Benjamin Harris has been very supportive of the
VPA. There is no charge to use the space, but we should make a
donation. The church sanctuary holds about 175 people, there are
several rooms for smaller discussions, a kitchen and a meals area.
But we should also look for a back-up location in case we need a
larger space.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><u><b>Program:</b></u></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">
A networking conference, followed by a march to the Virginia General
Assembly and then an indoor rally. With the upsurge in activism
around the state, we should spend more time letting people explain
what they are doing so we can be more aware of how we can help each
other and build the overall progressive movement. Also, several
people have said they would like to see some action proposals.</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><u><b>Now
it's time for the collective organizing, strategizing and
decision-making.</b></u></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"> </font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">I'm
proposing that:</font></p>
<ol>
<li><p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">Each
of the present 16 endorsing organizations and individuals <b>start
circulating the attached Call </b>to their friends, allies, e-mail
lists, social networks, etc, and try and get more endorsers. The
more endorsers we get, the stronger we will be and the more people
will want to be involved.</font></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">We
<b>set up a Facebook page</b> to publicize the VPA, sign up people to
attend and collect comments and suggestions.</font></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">All
the endorsers plan to <b>meet in person</b>, at least once, to discuss the
conference agenda, march and rally; the organizing details for the
day; and how to reach out and involve the most number of people. </font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><u><b>I'm
suggesting we do this in three weeks, on Saturday, Dec. 10.</b></u></font></p>
</li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">One
of the most important things we can do right now is to</font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><b>
take the Call the the various Occupy Wall Street occupations around
the state,</b></font><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"> present it
to their general assemblies and ask for endorsements and commitments
to come to the conference, march and rally. </font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">The
VPA is a once-a-year event, so should not be seen an alternative or
competitor to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Rather, it can be an
important contribution. OWS has brought thousands of people into
motion, many of them with great idealism and determination. And they
have made a tremendous contribution by exposing in a mass way that we
live in a class society in which the wealthiest 1% really do run
things, at the expense of the other 99%. </font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">However,
the OWS movement is still evolving, and so far involves a relatively
narrow section of society. The first three VPAs have been smaller –
about 100 people each – but have always been outstanding for
raising a broad range of political issues, drawing leadership from
the Black, Latino and other communities of color and having strong
women leadership and a visible LGBTQ presence. Introducing OWS to the
VPA can only benefit both efforts.</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">OK,
there it is. If we can all get involved and make our contributions,
we can move the progressive struggle forward by having a very
successful VPA. What's been done so far for the 2012 VPA has been
relative easy – getting the place, drafting the Call, gathering
endorsers. Now comes the hard part, the part that requires a
collective effort. And as always, there is no staff, no office, no
resources – just our commitment, our determination and our common
experience. But for that last three years, that's been more than
enough.</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2"><u><b>YOUR
COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE ESSENTIAL –<font color="#CC0000"> PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS
WHOLE LIST.</font></b></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">Thanks,</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">Phil
Wilayto</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font style="font-size:10pt" size="2">Defenders
for Freedom, Justice & Equality</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><br><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><br><br>
</p>
</font></font></font></div></div></blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Always with Solidarity<br><br>Nathan<br>