Here are the details:
Fourth Popular Forum to Resist the Conservatives
Monday October 3, 2011
6:30 p.m. start (in the basement of the Judith Jasmin pavillion of UQAM (405 Sainte-Catherine street East)) we’ll get from there to the room.
The election of a majority Conservative government in Ottawa this past May, in the context of a growing economic crisis and a rise of new social movements across the globe, has opened up new questions about strategy for social justice movements in Canada.
Many people feel a new sense of urgency to challenge the Conservative Party’s right-wing agenda, and to continue to resist the policies of the Canadian government and their corporate beneficiaries.
In mid-summer, a series of popular forums under the banner of “Resist the Conservatives” was initiated, with the aim of building a network of diverse grassroots organizations, collectives and individuals to coordinate our opposition to the Conservative government’s agenda from an anti-capitalist perspective.
Specifically, the forum process has sought to bring together individuals and members of various organizations concerned with issues of climate justice, poverty, anti-capitalism, labour rights, feminist and queer causes, Canadian economic and military interventions abroad, international solidarity, Israeli apartheid, militarization, indigenous rights, racism, migration and borders, security agenda and political repression, policing and prisons and corporate/state control of media.
In the first three assemblies, ideas have been exchanged on how to build a popular movement against the Conservative agenda that is anti-capitalist and long-term in vision, looking beyond the immediate urgency of this Conservative regime. In early September, the 3rd forum adopted a Basis of Unity for the network that you will find below.
The network aims to challenge the Conservative government through a series of actions over the course of the next four years. From organizing a popular teach-in this spring in support of the many struggles targetted by the Harper government, to a pan-Canadian day of action and economic disruption in June, to a direct-action convergence next fall, to ongoing popular education, radio broadcasts, and public forums, we’ll use all means to fight the Harper agenda and the capitalist systems in which it is embedded.
Only together in solidarity and on the streets can we become a real challenge to this government and help bring about real change.
To join the forum mailing list, for more information, or to receive previous minutes, email [email protected].
=====> Proposed agenda for meeting <=====
1) Go-round
2) Facilitation, minutes and translation
3) Overview of the decision-making process
4) Adoption of the agenda
5) Name of network
6) Finish the brainstorming
6.1) Present the ideas already brought up
6.1.1) Day of economic disruption
6.1.2) Direct action Convergence
6.1.3) Mass teach-in
6.2) Prioritization
6.3) Implementation (committees, etc)
7) Next Meeting
=====> Vision Statement of Resist Harper Forum <=====
We are a network of diverse grassroots organizations, collectives and individuals coming together to coordinate our opposition to the Conservative government’s agenda.
While we organize against the Conservatives, we are aware that this government only represents the intensification of the brutal and systemic injustices we have been organizing against for a long time.
We are joining organizing efforts to strengthen our movements for climate justice, labour rights, feminist and queer struggles, Indigenous solidarity, migrant justice and anti-racism, and against Canadian economic and military interventions abroad, Israeli apartheid, the security agenda and political repression, policing and prisons, and corporate/state control of media, and other social
injustices at all levels.
We work together across our experiences and movements, while sharing a common understanding including respect for diversity of tactics and strategies; an anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, anti-colonialist and anti-patriarchal analysis; an anti-oppression understanding and solidarity with those most directly affected; and organizational philosophy based on decentralization within a coordinated and accountable structure.
As a network, we operate outside of the systems of electoral politics and do not support any political parties or parliamentary institution. Representatives from political parties are not encouraged to attend the forum, but they are welcome to attend as individuals.
The only power we have is people power
#30#
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