Communists Flourish in Patriotic America ( RADFEST 2004 : MIDWEST SOCIAL FORUM )

6:45-9:00 PLENARY PANEL
Education "LATINOS/AS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC
ABC JUSTICE"
Christine Neumann-Ortiz , Voces de la Frontera, Milwaukee
Teofilo Reyes, Labor Notes, Transnationals Information Exchange, Chicago
Graciela Sánchez, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, San Antonio
Renée Saucedo, La Raza Centro Legal, San Francisco

Throughout "CORPORATE GLOBALIZATION VS. GLOBAL JUSTICE GUERRILLA PHOTO
Conference EXHIBIT"
Education Orin Langelle, Global Justice Ecology Project
Building An evolving exhibit of photographs from the most recent mobilizations against corporate
globalization. The exhibit includes photographs documenting the impacts of and resistance to
corporate globalization in indigenous communities in Chiapas, Nicaragua and northern Canada.

Education A "FIFTY YEARS AFTER 'BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION':
MEASURING THE SUCCESS OF DESEGREGATION"
A panel of MAFAAC members will discuss the benefits and failure of the Supreme Court decision on
the education of students of color, with an emphasis on African American and Latino students.
Barbara Golden, Madison Area Family Advisory/Advocacy Council
Julie Kailin , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Education B "CHALLENGING MILITARISM"
In this interactive workshop, three members of Veterans for Peace Chapter 25 will discuss the
intensifying militarization of American society, addressing such issues as the "No Child left Behind"
Act, the possibility of a new draft, counter-recruitment efforts, and the militarization of police forces.
They will also discuss the importance of peace activists reaching out to veterans and military families,
some of whom are at the vanguard of the current peace movement.
Don McKeating, Will Williams, and Esty Dinur, Veterans for Peace, chapter 25

Education C "THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF TOXIC CHEMICALS IN THE WORLD TODAY:
WHAT CAN BE DONE?"
This session will discuss the health consequences of our widespread exposure to toxic chemicals in the
environment, as well as efforts at all levels - local, state, national, and international - to restrict or ban
these chemicals.
Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, Boston Medical Center; Science and Environmental Health Network

Lodge A "GLOBAL HYPOCRITES:
U.S. AGRCULTURAL SUBSIDIES & INTERNATIONAL TRADE"
Much attention has been focused on the anti-democratic nature of the WTO. This can already be seen
in the way that the Agreement on Agriculture called for a radical restructuring of the U.S. farm subsidy
system in 1996. But who would have benefited? How do American farm subsidies hurt farmers in the
rest of the world? And do they really help farmers in the U.S.? What kind of agriculture do we want to
export?
Abby Kinchy, Department of Rural Sociology, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Margaret Krome, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
John Peck, Family Farm Defenders
Cynthia White, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Lodge B "COMMUNITY -DRIVEN NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGE: LESSONS FROM
CHICAGO"
"The city that works" offers ample opportunity to examine successful st rategies and potential
opportunity for development of grassroots solutions to the perennial issue of resident input in
community change. Members of the non-profit organization We the People Media will present their
groundbreaking methods of implementing information-based solutions to this problem and lead a
discussion about facilitating transparency in neighborhood development and community change.
Gabriel Piemonte and Beauty Turner, We the People Media

Lodge C "INTERNAL COLONIZATION AND RECONCILIATION: THE EXPERIENCE OF
SOUTH AFRICAN BLACKS AND THE SOUTH DAKOTA SIOUX"
This workshop will explore the similarities and differences of the experiences of South African Blacks
and the South Dakota Sioux under internal colonization. The session will also discuss the "Truth and
Reconciliation Process" that preceded apartheid in South Africa and the reconciliation process recently
underway in South Dakota.
Teresa Stallings, Department of Sociology, Northern State University

Stevenson "WHERE THE WAR ON DRUGS MEETS THE WAR ON TERROR:
EXPANDING U.S. INTERVENTION IN COLOMBIA"
For the Bush administration, Colombia is War on Terror's southern front. While Colombia's
president jails hundreds of peaceful activists and seeks a pardon for far-right paramilitary assassins, U.S.
military "aid" steadily increases. Yet the U.S. public hears little about it. We will discuss recent changes
in the nature of U.S. intervention, their impacts on the ground, and ways to stand in solidarity with
Colombia's embattled and courageous social movement.
Gerardo Cajamarca , Colombian city councilor in exile
Phillip Cryan, Colombia Week
John Laun, Colombia Support Network

Education A "SEIZE THE MEDIA!: HOW TO ORGANIZE FOR MEDIA JUSTICE"
This action-oriented workshop discusses the emerging "media justice" movement, which is
grounded in a power analysis of race, class, and gender and seeks to go beyond gaining greater access to
the existing media system to the creation of a radically distinct system that is democratic, diverse, and
community-oriented.
Karen Bond, Chicago Media Action
Bob McChesney, author of The Problem of the Media

Education B "ENDING CORPOCRACY: GETTING CORPORATIONS OUT OF POLITICS"
This panel will focus on how the wall of separation between corporations and politics has been torn
down - leading to growing corporate control of the electoral process - and how that wall can be rebuilt
to the benefit of democracy and the public interest.
Mike McCabe, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Ed Garvey , FightingBob.com
Charlie Derber, Department of Sociology, Boston College

Education C "WHY THE AFL-CIO CAN'T ORGANIZE:
LESSONS FOR A NEW LABOR MOVEMENT"
Membership in U.S. unions continues a 25 -year slide, despite the best efforts of the AFL-CIO. Labor
will rebound. But the constraints on the AFL-CIO and affiliated unions do not allow those institutions
to do what is necessary to rebuild a labor movement. History and organizational theory predict that
when the turn-around comes it will come from outside of the established institutions of the AFL-CIO.
Ron Blascoe, AFT Local 4848
Bob Clark, Making Connections Milwaukee

Lodge A "THE 'MIAMI MODEL' AND THE FUTURE OF CIVIL LIBERTIES"
In November 2003, Miami officials created a repressive police state to greet protests against the
FTAA. Victims of the "Miami Model" will discuss their experiences, and the potential consequences
for future dissent in the United States. The panel will also place Miami in the context of the broader
assault on civil liberties.
Gerry Gunderson, Steelworker from Milwaukee
John Heckenlively, journalist/political activist
Matt Rothschild, The Progressive Magazine
Steve Watrous, labor organizer who was active in Miami

Lodge B "A SONG WILL RISE:
TEACHING SOCIAL MOVEMENTS THROUGH FOLK SONGS"
This workshop uses songs of struggle and protest to teach about radical politics and social movements.
Jim Pennell and Corey Dolgon are both sociologists and folk singers who will play a few songs and
discuss the ways they use performance to teach about the labor movement and other political struggles.
Corey Dolgon , Department of Sociology, Worcester State College
Jim Pennell, Department of Sociology, University of Indianapolis

Lodge C "SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH: THE STRUGGLE TO CLOSE THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY COOPERATION"
School of the Americas Watch is a mass national movement dedicated to closing the Western
Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (Ft. Benning, Georgia), where the U.S. military trains
Latin American military forces to use violence to support entrenched oligarchies. As the US
government's response to the mass demonstrations has hardened, the movement has if anything
become even more determined.
Cecil and Helen Findley, The Crossing, UW-Madison

Stevenson "UP AGAINST THE WALL: PUTTING PALESTINE ON THE AGENDA OF THE U.S.
PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT"
What is the future of the Israeli occupation of Palestine? And what should we as U.S. citizens - who
bankroll the Israeli military - do about it?
George Arida, Madison-Rafah Sister City Project
Norman Finkelstein, author of Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Ghada Hashem Talhami, Department of Politics, Lake Forest College

Education A "COMMUNITY SUPPORTED LABOR RIGHTS:
WORKERS CENTERS & IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN WISCONSIN"
Latinos represent the fastest growing segment of the Wisconsin population and they contribute
significantly to the economy and society. Nevertheless, their precarious situation leaves them vulnerable
to exploitation and abuse at the hands of their employers. Two communities in Wisconsin have
established centers that address the needs of immigrant workers through education, advocacy and
organizing. Presenters will give examples of organizing workers in hostile climates, and of working with
and around the law to achieve gains in workers' rights - especially for low wage workers.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz , Voces de la Frontera/Workers- Rights Center, Milwaukee
David Alvarado, Workers- Rights Center, Madison

Education B "A WORD IN EDGEWISE: WORKING WITH MAINSTREAM MEDIA"
By better understanding the way mainstream commercial news media work, activists can more
effectively get their messages out. This nuts-and-bolts me dia-training workshop will cover the basics of
working with the mainstream news media, including press releases, news conferences, event planning,
interview strategies, and effective letter and op-ed writing.
Bob Jensen, Department of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin
Matt Rothschild, The Progressive Magazine

Education C "CHALLENGES TO CORPORATE POWER:
ANTI-CORPORATE STRATEGIES, STRUGGLES, AND SUCCESSES"
It's not news that corporations have too much power over our lives. The question is what we as
citizens are going to do about this. Authors and activists Derber, Garvey and Mark will discuss what
works and what doesn't when it comes to challenging corporate power, and examine strategies for
going beyond the consequences of corporate abuses to tackle root causes. Panelists will focus on what
social movements can do in an election season to keep issues of corporate control front-and-center in
the electorate's mind.
Charlie Derber, Department of Sociology, Boston College
Ed Garvey , FightingBob.com
Jason Mark, Global Exchange

Lodge A "MEDIA, DEMOCRACY, EDUCATION, REFORM, AND THE WORLD"
What shape is the World in? What role are the media playing? What is media education doing about it,
what is the role of media education within the reform movement, and what can media education do in
the future? With analysis, suggestions and examples, the two Bobs will connect democratic trends with
the role of activism, reform and media education and answer questions.
Bob McCannon , New Mexico Media Literacy Project
Bob McChesney, Free Press, author of The Problem of the Media
John Nichols, Capital Times

Lodge B "HOW TO FORM A PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT ON A CONSERVATIVE CAMPUS"
In this session, students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater United For Peace and
Campus Green Party will discuss strategies and tactics used to garner support and facilitate meaningful
and progressive discussion on a conservative campus.
Matthew French and Chris Swenson, Whitewater United for Peace

Lodge C "ORGANIZING FOR CHANGE"
Community organizing is the process in which people and communities that have been excluded
from power come together to develop their own vision, leadership, skills, processes and power for
addressing the social, economic, and environmental challenges they face. Experienced organizers from
Milwaukee will lead us in an interactive workshop on various approaches to community organizing
such as neighborhood-based, faith-based, school-based, identity-based and others for developing
leadership and power from the grassroots. We'll also discuss a new project for preparing new
community organizers.

Julie Andersen, Wisconsin Apprentice Organizers Project
Dwain Berry, Institute to Stop Gun Violence
Abha Thakkar, North Side Planning Council
Teresa Thomas-Boyd, Citizen Action of Milwaukee

Seabury PLAY: "ONE WALL MISSING"
This two-act play - the latest from TAPIT/new works, Inc. - explores the links between the 1950's
political repression of McCarthyism and the current political environment defined by the Patriot Act.
TAPIT/new works, Inc. is a 19-year old not-for-profit arts organization which explores political and
social issues in a multi-disciplinary manner.
Danielle Dresden, Nelson Zane Eisman, Donna Peckett, Sarah Whelan, Diane Monroe,
Michael Duffy, Elizabeth Coggin, Donna Breslin, and Angie Hougas, TAPIT/new works, Inc.

2:45-3:45 BOOK SIGNING
Seabury Charles Derber, Boston College, Regime Change Begins at Home.
Robert Jensen, University of Texas at Austin, Citizens of the Empire: The Struggle to Claim Our Humanity.
Jason Mark, Global Exchange, Insurrection: Citizen Challenges to Corporate Power.
Bob McChesney, Free Press, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, The Problem of the
Media: U.S. Communications Politics in the 21st Century
Thomas Ponniah, Clark University, Another World is Possible: Popular Alternatives to
Globalization at the World Social Forum.

Stevenson FILM: "THIS BLACK SOIL: A STORY OF RESISTANCE AND REBIRTH"
Video Documentary by Teresa Konechne. This inspiring and provocative new film chronicles the
successful struggle of a small and severely impoverished African-American community in rural Virginia
to defeat the state's plans to build a prison in their backyard.

Education A "LEARNING ENGLISH IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT,
CULTURAL IDENTITY, & STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT"
This session will focus on English Language Learners in the public schools, looking specifically at issues
of language development, cultural identity and student achievement. We will examine the ways in which
both state and federal mandates (including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) are affecting English
Language Learners, with a particular focus on Latino students - for example, what schools are doing to
comply with these new regulations, etc. We will also briefly explore ways to support legislative
initiatives like residence tuition waivers locally and nationally.
Edward J. Rico, Madison Area Technical College Instructor
Donna Vukelich, UW-Madison, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Alfonso Zepeda-Capistrán, President, LUChA

Education B "TAKING THE SOCIAL IN SOCIALISM SERIOUSLY"
Socialism, in both its revolutionary and reformist traditions, has generally been viewed as a state-
centered project of socio-economic transformation. This is not simply because the state was seen as a
pivotal locus of power for overcoming opposition and enacting the relevant policies of social change,
but because the state was seen as the central site for organizing socialism itself. In this workshop I will
explore an alternative way of thinking about socialism in which the central issue of institutional design
is empowering civil society relative to both the state and the economy. The vision, then, is of a society-
centered socialism.
Erik Olin Wright, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Education C "FIGHTING FOR A VOICE: HOW TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE MEDIA"
Building a media infrastructure that will focus on the issues and concerns of working people

(peace, jobs, education, etc) is a collective effort. This session will discuss how we can move such a
collective project forward.
Frank Emspak, Workers Independent News Service (WINS)
Ellen LaLuzerne, Madison Labor Radio
Dave Dee, The Fourth Shift

Lodge A "SOCIAL DECAY OF EMPIRE"
This session examines the high domestic economic, political, and social costs of empire in the
contemporary United States.
Robert Reuschlein, Peace Economics (Realeconomy.com)

Lodge B "POST-INVASION IRAQ AND THE MOVEMENT TO END THE OCCUPATION"
Bent on "regime change" and a "re-mapping" of the Middle East, the imperial unilateralists occupying
the White House invaded Iraq in March, 2003. Hundreds of thousands in the US and millions
worldwide had taken to the streets in an attempt at "pre-emptive peace." But with the assault on Iraq,
the bulk of peace and anti-war forces fell away. The US occupation goes on, and the cost in casualties
and resources continues to mount. How do we build a broader movement, reaching out beyond the
Left, that can affect policy? Can such a movement have an immediate effect in this election year? These
and other questions will be addressed by this panel of veteran anti-war activists.
Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange
George Martin , United for Peace and Justice, Peace Action
Matt Rothschild, The Progressive Magazine
Allen Ruff, Solidarity, moderator

Lodge C "COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT"
Community building is based on the belief that inner city residents and institutions can and must be
primary actors in the struggle to solve the problems of their neighborhoods. This session will discuss
how Making Connections Milwaukee is putting this belief into practice in several Milwaukee
neighborhoods.
Bob Clark, Making Connections Milwaukee

Stevenson "NEW NUCLEAR POWER AND WASTE IN WISCONSIN: THE GROWING THREAT"
The nuclear power industry is working to build new nuclear reactors in Wisconsin, and the Wolf River
batholith in Wisconsin is a top candidate to become the site of a national high level nuclear waste
dump. This workshop will give an update on state legislation (AB 555) relating to new reactors, and
discuss statewide activism on this issue.
Alfred Meyer, Physicians for Social Responsibility

7:00-9:00 PLENARY PANEL
Seabury "PROGRESSIVE STRATEGY IN 2004, AND BEYOND"
Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange
Brenda Konkel, Madison City Council
Salim Muwakkil, Chicago Tribune, In These Times
Jamala Rogers, Black Radical Congress

Education A "DENVER DEVIANCE: DIRECT ACTION & POLITICAL DISCOURSE"
This session will discuss the use of alternative newspapers and literary magazines in inspiring political
discourse and the effectiveness of non-violent direct action techniques in mobilizing students to
political action.
Carole Lundgren, student activist, University of Denver
Colin Rydell, student activist, University of Denver
Nick Voss , student activist, University of Denver, co-founder of Broken Rib Press

Education B "BHOPAL: A HEINOUS CORPORATE CRIME"
In December 1984, a toxic cloud of gas from a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, silently
enveloped the surrounding city, leaving thousands dead. Find out more about the disaster, the
burgeoning student campaign, and the Global Day of Action Against Corporate Crime, organized
annually on the anniversary of Bhopal.
Ryan Bodanyi, Student Coordinator, International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal

Education C "ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE: THE SOCIAL FORUM MOVEMENT"
This session will discuss the Social Forum phenomenon, exploring why people in communities
all over the world have embraced the slogan "another world is possible."
Marc Becker, Truman State University, moderator
Janet Conway, Ryerson University (Toronto), Toronto Social Forum
Corey Dolgon , Worcester State College
Matt Nelson, Education for the People!, Boston Social Forum
Thomas Ponniah, Clark University

Lodge A "OUR DEMOCRACY, OUR AIRWAVES"
This session will focus on a growing nationa l campaign with a goal of reasserting the public’s
ownership of the broadcast airwaves and challenging media corporations to live up to their obligation
to serve the public interest that comes with the free licenses they receive to operate on the public's
airwaves. The session will highlight a federal legislative initiative as well as grassroots
strategies including efforts to challenge the licenses of TV stations that fail to serve the public interest
by meaningfully covering election campaigns.
Meredith McGehee, Alliance for Better Campaigns
Mike McCabe, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign

Lodge B "RACIAL PROFILING AND POLICE/INS ISSUES OF DEPORTATION"
In this session we will be exploring the shifts seen in the enforcement of immigration laws and how
they have significantly affected the immigrant communities (in Wisconsin, primarily Latinos) across the
country. We will also explore what some communities in Wisconsin and around the country are doing
to change law enforcement attitudes and focus on the import ance of protecting the community, rather
than cultivating fear and lack of collaboration.
Karyn Rotker, Poverty, Race & Civil Liberties Project Attorney, ACLU of Wisconsin
Renee Saucedo, Director, The San Francisco Day Labor Program, La Raza Centro Legal
Alfonso Zepeda-Capistrán, President, LUChA

Lodge C "CHURCH & STATE ENTANGLEMENTS IN THE REIGN OF G.W. BUSH"
An astonishing number of church/state relationships have been imposed by the current
administration in Washington - with or without approval of Congress. Likewise, the current Wisconsin
Legislature encourages connections between religion and government. We'll review some of these
entanglements, their dubious constitutionality, and their influence on our lives in the Badger State and
across the nation.
Leona E. Balek and Dennis Coyier, Wisconsin Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church
& State

Stevenson "SHATTERING THE SILENCE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE"
Sexual assault is a silent crime that plagues our society shrouded in misconceptions. This interactive
presentation puts the issues of sexual assault on a more personal level through the use of true survivor
stories and experiences. It will provide tangible tactics and techniques to organize around the issue
using social, educational, and legislative aspects.
Angela Rose Bartucci and Lexy Anderson , Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE)

Education A "THE POST 9-11 DOMESTIC CLIMATE FOR ARABS AND MUSLIMS"
In this panel, Arab & Muslim Americans will discuss the increased hostility towards their
communities locally and nationwide since the September 11th tragedy. Both positive and negative
developments will be addressed. Data will be provided from the American Arab Anti -Discrimination
Committee (ADC), including ADC's national hate crimes report. It will conclude with advice on how to
take a pro-active role in fighting discrimination against Arabs and Muslims in the United States.
Marwan Wafa , School of Business & Technology, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Sadiqa Is sa, student activist, Alverno College

Education B "CUBA: YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW"
This session will discuss advances in health, education and scientific achievements of Socialist Cuba,
as well as the fight to free the Cuban Five political prisoners.
John Lease, Wisconsin Committee for Peace and Justice

Education C "KNOW JUSTICE, KNOW PEACE:
CONNECTING THE GLOBAL PEACE & ECONOMIC JUSTICE MOVEMENTS"
From Seattle to Prague to Quebec City to Genoa, popular protests opposed to corporate globalization
represented some of the largest citizens' movements before Sept. 11, 2001. Since the terrorist attacks,
issues of war and peace have dominated grassroots efforts. How can we bridge the Global Peace and
Economic Justice Movements? Jason Mark suggests making our new slogan, "Know Justice, Know
Peace."
Jason Mark, Global Exchange

Lodge A "CRITICAL THINKING/PUBLIC SPEAKING"
Few things scare people as much as speaking in public, especially in front of large groups. Too often
people look at the great public speakers and say, "I could never do that - I'm no Martin Luther King,
Jr." Well, that's partly right - you're no MLK. Neither am I. But everyone has the capacity to
communicate clearly to an audience. That audience might be one person who stops at your political
table to ask a question, a small group at your church, or the crowd at a large political gathering.
Whatever the level of speaking you do, this workshop can help improve the quality of your arguments
and your ability to deliver them clearly.
Robert Jensen, Department of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin

Lodge B "HEALTH CARE ADVOCACY FOR VETERANS:
ANOTHER COMPONENT TO THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE"
Gulf War veterans and their families face the fallout of exposure to Gulf War illness. The current Iraq
war and its aftermath bring new traumas to soldiers, their families and American society as a whole.
The Health Writers project challenges the injustices of those not receiving sufficient information about
and treatment for their illnesses by creating an internet clearinghouse of information and self-help
network for veterans and their families and organizing this constituency into a progressive interest
group.
Tom Kozlovsky, Judy Leurquin, David Pouncey, Diane Michalski Turner, and Lea Zeldin,
Health Writers

Lodge C "NETWORKING THE REVOLUTION:
COMMUNITY BUILDING, MEDIA ACTIVISM, AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES"
In the last three years, synergies among Independent Media Centers and allied organizations have
increased dramatically - many of these media collaborations are utilizing new technologies, new
strategies and new ideologies to distribute information, educate the public, and support the Global
Justice Movement. This session will focus on these synergies, paying particular attention to cutting edge
technological initiatives and new forms of radical participatory media.
Sarah Kanouse, Independent artist
Bob McCannon , New Mexico Media Literacy Project, Action Coalition for Media Education
Sascha Meinrath, Urbana -Champaign Independent Media Center Foundation, Community Wireless
Network

Stevenson "GET YOUR GSA ON!"
Students in gay-straight alliances (high school and middle school student led clubs) are taking the
lead in creating safe school climates for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender
identity/expression. We're here to show you how! Student leaders and representatives from the Gay,
Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) will explain how to jump-start a GSA in your
school, share what it takes to make it thrive, show how to shake things up, and provide examples on
how to educate your school community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues. This
session promises to be interactive and youth-focused.
Brian Juchems, Program Director, GLSEN-SCW

Education A "CORPORATE GLOBALIZATION: CORPORATIONS AND 'FREE TRADE'
This session will discuss the corporate takeover of our global economy. Since its inception 60 years
ago, the World Bank and its corporate sponsors have forced "free trade" on the global economy. Learn
from the panelists their views of this trend and what ordinary citizens are doing about it. They will
discuss the World Bank Bond Boycott movement, protests against the World Trade Organization,
NAFTA and FTAA, populist movements like "Third Sector" and other efforts to democratize the
global economy.
Soren Ambrose , 50 Years is Enough
Jason Mark, Global Exchange
Charlie Derber, author of Corporation Nation
Cathy Rose, World Bank Bond Boycott Campaign
Orin Langelle , Global Justice Ecology Project

Education B "THE GROWING NUCLEAR THREAT AND THE EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN"
To counter the triple threat (nuclear terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and the Bush administrations push
for "usable" nuclear weapons) the world i s pushing hard to eliminate nuclear weapons. US resistance is
leading to a showdown at the NPT Review Conference in 2005. The Mayors for Peace have launched
an Emergency Campaign and you can help.
Steve Leeper, US Representative for the World Conference of Mayors for Peace

Education C "EQUAL EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR"
An EEO expert and former senior investigator brings to life the unique employment issues faced by
people of color and low-wage earners by weaving together real cast stories, statisti cs and information
on federal anti-discrimination laws. Learn about "name" and appearance discrimination, harassment,
9/11 backlash, speak-English-only rules, immigrant workers, discriminatory hire criteria and
more! Hear how employers and advocates have addressed these issues and what resources are available
to them.
Maria E. Flores, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Milwaukee District Office

Lodge A "SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY REINTEGRATION OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED
WOMEN"
The Demeter Foundation, Inc. is the only organization in the State of Wisconsin that continually
surveys and intervenes for incarcerated women in the Wisconsin Prison System. Wisconsin's recidivism
rate is among the highest in the nation. Lack of educational opportunities, poor AODA and health care
plague the system. Survey results, lobbying for change, prototype program development and
community education will be discussed by this panel.
Alice Petlock Pauser, President, The Demeter Foundation, Inc

Lodge B "THE NEW LATIN AMERICAN LEFT: ORIGINS AND FUTURE TRAJECTORY"
This session will examine the widespread growth of leftist social movements, parties, and
governments in Latin America in recent years. Among other issues, it will discuss the origins,
characteristics, and possible future trajectory of the new Latin American Left.
Patrick Barrett, Havens Center, UW-Madison
Marc Becker, Truman State University
Cesar Rodríguez, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Donna Vukelich, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Lodge C "YOU SAY WE'VE HAD A SEXUAL REVOLUTION"
This session examines our current cultural landscape, focusing on the representations of women,
men, and sexuality. The session challenges participants to ask whether we’ve really had an effective
sexual revolution, and if not, how we might move farther along that revolutionary road.
Kim McCarten, Action Coalition for Media Education

Stevenson "THE EARTH CHARTER AS A TOOL FOR ORGANIZING"
This session examines the importance of the Earth Charter, an authentic people's treaty that
seeks to link local and global concerns and suggest guidelines for a viable future in the areas of
environmental integrity, social justice, non-violence and sustainability.
Penny Andrews, Earth Charter Madison

Robert McChesney of the marxist Free Press group was at this thing, which is one of the larger reasons I'm posting this.

But you should read through this! The things they talk about are...........

Well some of them make sense, like helping out rape victims.(sexual violence victims) But I'll point out a few segments that grabbed my attention:

Lodge B "HOW TO FORM A PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT ON A CONSERVATIVE CAMPUS"

Lodge C "NETWORKING THE REVOLUTION: COMMUNITY BUILDING, MEDIA ACTIVISM, AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES"

Lodge B "THE NEW LATIN AMERICAN LEFT: ORIGINS AND FUTURE TRAJECTORY"

Now, this is mainly a program guide, we can't see the actual words/content of what was discussed. But look at the titles! Come on.........

This is a huge who's who of leftists that gathered here. I'm hoping that as other conservatives continue to dig stuff up linking things and people together and whatnot that this may be helpful in the future.

---------That is hilarious. With just a few tweaks, it would be an Iowahawk column. Medea Benjamin AND Bhopal, a "society-based socialism" (as opposed to what?)----------

Yeah, that struck me too.

Socialism is a form of tyranny, and these people think they can societize tyranny. They're truely moonbats.

However:

Liberals are funny when they are out of power. Liberals are dangerous when they are in power.

With that in mind, this document becomes a little bit more troubling.

---------down with Israel, up with folk singing. Hundreds of people, but not a single one with a real, productive job, all gathered together to admire each others' commitment to overthrowing our government and our economic system. And no clue about capitalism and how our society became wealthy enough to support parasites like them.-----

They know what their communist professors told them, and that's all they need to know.

The Center for Public Intellectuals & The University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC)
April 19th-20th, 2002, Conference
[Participants include: William/Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Sen Barack Obama]

April 19th-20th, 2002
Chicago Illini Union
828 S. Wolcott

This conference is part of the Center's mission of helping to create a more engaged civil society, working towards social change, fostering coalitions between theorists and activists, and combating anti-intellectualism in contemporary culture. It will be both a celebration of ideas and a rigorous examination of the roles and responsibilities that intellectuals play in society.

I. Why Do Ideas Matter? (a keynote panel)

We introduce the “meta” theme of the conference by hearing “success stories” from diverse voices discussing their experiences intervening intellectually.

Timuel Black, Chicago activist; Prof. Emeritus, City Colleges of Chicago
Lonnie Bunch, President, Chicago Historical Society
Bernardine Dohrn, Northwestern University Law School, Children and Family Justice Center
Gerald Graff, UIC, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Richard Rorty, Stanford University, Philosophy

III. Lunch and Public Encounters

Alternative breakout tours led by Chicago activists. Tours of Bronzeville and other communities, and visits to organizations that are working on partnering theorists with activists.

IV. Intellectuals in Times of Crisis
Experiences and applications of intellectual work in urgent situations.

William Ayers, UIC, College of Education; author of Fugitive Days
Douglass Cassel, Northwestern University, Center for International Human Rights
Cathy Cohen, University of Chicago, Political Science
Salim Muwakkil, Chicago Tribune; In These Times
Barack Obama, Illinois State Senator
Barbara Ransby, UIC, African-American Studies (moderator)

The Center for Public Intellectuals
University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC):
http://www.uic.edu/classes/las/las400/conferencealt.htm
_____________________________________________________

"It was at the Chicago home of [Bill] Ayers and [Bernardine] Dohrn that Obama, then an up-and-coming 'community organizer,' had his political coming out party in 1995. Not content with this rite of passage in Lefty World — where unrepentant terrorists are regarded as progressive luminaries, still working 'only to educate' — both Obamas tended to the relationship with the Ayers."
Article: The Company He Keeps:
Meet Obama’s circle: The same old America-hating Left
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YThjYTU1ZDBjNmQ2YzcwNzU1MmYwN2JiMWY0ZGI0NDA=&w=MA==
_____________________________________________________

"Dig It. First they killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them, they even shoved a fork into a victim’s stomach! Wild!"
-Weather Underground leader and wife of Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, referring to the Manson murders

Article: Allies in War -by David Horowitz
FrontPageMagazine.com | Monday, September 17, 2001
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=63512670-BF7C-42A0-B41D-5D0FB9E09C09
_____________________________________________________

"Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home, kill your parents, that's where it's really at"
--Bill Ayers (1970), quoted in New York Times, September 11, 2001:

Article: "No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives; In a Memoir of Sorts, a War Protester Talks of Life With the Weathermen"
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DE1438F932A2575AC0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1
_____________________________________________________

Undercover agent Larry Grathwohl discusses the Weather Underground's post-revolution governing plans for the United States:

Larry Grathwohl:

"I asked, 'well what is going to happen to those people we can't reeducate, that are diehard capitalists?' and the reply was that they'd have to be eliminated. And when I pursued this further, they estimated they would have to eliminate 25 million people in these reeducation centers. And when I say 'eliminate,' I mean 'kill.' Twenty-five million people. I want you to imagine sitting in a room with 25 people, most of which have graduate degrees, from Columbia and other well-known educational centers, and hear them figuring out the logistics for the elimination of 25 million people. And they were dead serious."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWMIwziGrAQ

Yes, American commies/progressives have a very different perspective on the Republic:

While reading the above brochure, the names of speakers and organizers began to stand out ... and Glenn Beck has brought a few of these to FOX News viewers' attention int he last three months. This convention is the sort of long range planning the commies have been doing that results in black nationalist commies like Van Jones becoming White House czars! And the list is getting longer ... Mark Lloyd, Anita Dunn, Andy Stern, etc. America is a representative Constitutional Republic. When someone organizes for commie objectives, they usually have to float several lies which deny the reality of America. And they get away with it because our 'public'/government school systems have come under the direction of commies like William Ayers, so the truth of where this nation has come and how we got here is not taught to the mushy little minds the commies want to herd into communism's planned future.

This document from 2004 serves as an example of the community organizing of the left. It is an annual event, however since 2004 they hide their agenda from the public.

Following is a more recent event but they don’t like to “come out of the closet” in the light of day now.

http://www.mwsocialforum.org/node/1263

Midwest Social Forum Holds Organizing Teach-in
Submitted by marc on April 3, 2008 - 10:15am. MWSF
Midwest Social Forum Holds Organizing Teach-in

by Marc Becker
April 3, 2008

Over 150 activists from throughout the Midwest gathered the last weekend of March 2008 for Organizing Communities Across Boundaries: An Organizing Teach-in. The weekend sought to build collaborative relationships and develop organizing skills to bridge the divides that segment social justice movements.

A struggle that social movements face is to break from hierarchies and out of “silos” that divide people from each other. Activists need to move from protest actions, which often react against oppression, to developing and presenting visions of where we want to go. Social movements are also moving away from the control of foundations that often limit activism through funding restrictions.

Planning Committee member Patrick Barrett noted that not only are skills important, but we also need to build relationships. Big gatherings are good for gaining a sense of being part of something bigger, but small gathering is designed to help us build relationships.

People, especially young people and people of color, who have been impacted by issues are now in leadership positions. That was reflected in the composition of the participants, with an overwhelming presence of people in their 20s and people from the inner cities of Chicago and Milwaukee.

Workshops covered a range of issues from the basics of community organizing and strategic campaign planning, through more advanced topics of fundraising, how to democratize our campuses, and building a queer left in the Midwest. While most workshops were planned ahead of time, at the teach-in participants from Chicago and Milwaukee organized a powerful and well-attended session on the prison industrial complex.

In addition to the workshop, the teach-in also featured relationship building cohorts and caucuses. The cohorts were 10 small groups that cut across race, age, and issue divides. An objective of the cohort groups was to break people out of their comfort zones and “silos” in order to build ties across communities and issues.

In addition to the cohorts, participants gathered in 5 caucuses for people working on the common issues of youth, environmental justice, immigrant rights, LGBT, and students.

Three plenary sessions were also spaced throughout the weekend. Rose Brewer from Project South and Adrienne Maree Brown from the Ruckus Society facilitated the opening plenary session on “Can We Win it All?” Rose and Adrienne emphasized the importance of intersectionality–how struggles over race, class, gender, sexuality and others are informed and shaped by each other. Organizations come and go, but key to realizing success is to build movements around networks of people.

You are correct! The idea is to illustrate their power, growth and infiltration into many areas that affect all Americans.

I gathered some additional information on this to make it more current. linked below

http://www.havenscenter.org/mwsf
The Midwest Social Forum (MWSF) is an annual gathering of grassroots organizations, community activists, workers, educators, students, artists, and others committed to making a better, more just world possible. The MWSF provides an open space for exchanging experiences and information, strengthening alliances and networks, and developing effective strategies for progressive social, economic, and political change.
The MWSF builds on both regional and global traditions and sources of inspiration. It has its origins in the Midwest Radical Scholars and Activists Conference, which was founded in 1983 by the Havens Center for the Study of Social Structure and Social Change and later renamed RadFest in the late 1990s. In 2003, the title Midwest Social Forum was added, inspired by the World Social Forum and the similar principles on which it was established, most importantly its commitment to diversity, democracy, and politically non-sectarian dialogue and debate (see WSF Charter of Principles here). Reflecting its growing identification and connection with the broader Social Forum movement, in September 2005, the MWSF organizing committee decided to drop the name RadFest and go solely by the title Midwest Social Forum. The committee also decided to move the Forum to Milwaukee in order to accommodate the Forum’s accelerated growth and increasing logistical, programmatic, and other needs.
The growth and expansion of the MWSF is illustrative of the growing importance of the Social Forum movement more generally, which has spread to the regional, national, and even local level in many parts of the world. The World Social Forum itself has increased from 20,000 participants in 2001 to 155,000 in 2005. Moreover, in January 2006, the second Social Forum of the Americas was held in Caracas, Venezuela, and in June 2007, the first United States Social Forum will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. And the Midwest Social Forum is now poised to make yet another significant leap forward. More info here: www.mwsocialforum.org

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.