Democracy Convention
Madison College, downtown campus
Madison, WI
August 7 (12pm) -11 (6pm), 2013
(i.e., 16 days from now)
Democracy is coming...to the U.S.A.
Nine conferences. One movement.
Regular Registration: $50
Contributor: $100
Student/Low Income: $20
This convention consists of nine separate conferences (See list below):
This diary provides two benefits:
1) one-stop, one-page overview of the convention and, more importantly,
2) links for the individuals and organizations involved (not available on the convention site).
The Democracy Convention is a project of Liberty Tree, a "foundation for the democratic revolution." Liberty Tree is also involved in:
Shut the Chamber - End Corporate Pollution. End the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The Wisconsin Wave - We Won't Pay for Their Crisis! Uniting Wisconsinites against corporatization and austerity, and for democracy and shared prosperity!
Move to Amend (co-founder) - a national movement to overturn Citizen's United.
Many of our badgers no doubt recognize Liberty Tree and/or their projects. Many more kossacks are no doubt familiar with Move to Amend.
One Convention, Nine Conferences
Constitutional Reform - amending our basic law
Democratizing Defense - people power over war & peace
Earth Democracy - reclaim the commons for all beings
Economic Democracy - economics as if people mattered
Education for Democracy - democratizing our schools & colleges
Local Democracy - community power & local participation
Media Democracy - a free press for a free society
Race & Democracy - racial equity, equality & justice
Representative Democracy - voting rights & open government
Aside: given the ties among convening organizations and individual participants with Occupy, sure would be nice to have a Participatory and Direct Democracy track, no?
Featured Speakers:
Opening Plenary
Keynote Speaker: Gar Alperovitz (New Economy luminary)
Honorary Chair: Medea Benjamin (Co-founder, CODE PINK)
Wisconsin Welcome: Bryan Kennedy (Pres, AFT-Wisconsin & The Assn of U. WI Professionals)
Closing Plenary
Debra White Plume, Ogala Band, Lakota Nation, Pine Ridge, SD Indian Reservation
Performances
Head Roc (“The Mayor” of DC Hip Hop)
A bit more about each of these nine conferences.
The general email contact for the convention is schedule.democracyconvention@gmail.com
Aside: the conferences/sessions for which full information is provided reflect very good to excellent content and leadership. Numerous people from the Green Shadow Cabinet. Where possible, I link to those bios and indicate their GSC cabinet positions in parens. Regardless of how you feel about the Green Party as an entity in electoral politics, the people involved, from my own experience, are very passionate and capable in their fields of expertise.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
amending our basic law
Principal convener: Move to Amend
Contact: Move to Amend at info@movetoamend.org
The Constitutional Reform Conference at the 2013 Democracy Convention will provide space for attendees to discuss, debate and strategize how to ensure that the growing U.S. democracy movement takes itself seriously enough to attempt to write our political and cultural victories into the governing law of this country.
Specific session information to be announced..
DEMOCRATIZING DEFENSE
people power over war & peace
Principal Conveners: Veterans for Peace,
CODE PINK,
War is a Crime
Contact: Leah Bolger (
GSC SecDef) at bolgerleah@gmail.com
Sessions:
How "Waging Peace" Training Can Save Our Democracy with Paul Chappell (The Art of Waging Peace)
Democracy Within the Military: What Would it Look Like? with Robert Fantina (Look Not Unto the Morrow) and Michael Prysner (March Forward! Veterans and Service Members Stand Up Against War and Racism)
Democracy vs Drones with Medea Benjamin (CODE PINK), Joe Scarry, and Dave Mitchell (Web content producer for KDVR.com and KWGN.com, Denver; legal intern, Northeastern University School of Law)
Declarations of War--Who decides? with Leah Bolger (GSC SecDef) and Ben Manski (GSC CoS)
Democratizing the Military "Entitlement" System with Ann Wright (GSC Sec State)
What if we spread Democracy to the United States? with David Swanson (GSC Sec Peace), George Paz Martin (GSC Amb. Peace), and Coleen Rowley (former FBI, whistleblower)
Militarism and Environmental Destruction--Making the Connection with Helen Jaccard (UK Vets for Peace)
Military Spending vs Democracy with Glen Ford (Black Agenda Report) and Michael McPhearson
How to build a movement to end war and restore liberty wherever you live with Shahid Buttar (GSC Dir, Civ Rights Enforcement), Debra Sweet (World Can't Wait), and George Friday (BORDC)
Life Without War with Robert Koehler and David Swanson (GSC Sec Peace)
EARTH DEMOCRACY
reclaim the commons for all beings
Principal Conveners:
The Alliance for Democracy (End corporate personhood, end corporate rule),
Green Action, and the
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
Contact: Nancy Price at nancytprice39@gmail.com
Session leaders/participants are involved in:
- democratize the electric grid and finance local renewable energy
- expose the corporatization of the "green" economy agenda
- recognize water as a fundamental right of people and nature
- combat global warming through creative action
- overcome corporate influence on school curricula & pursue earth-friendly curricula
Sessions:
Awakening the Dreamer Symposium with The Pachamama Alliance
Community Action Tool Kit for Earth Democracy with Randa Solick and Ellen Murtha, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Santa Cruz Branch
Guardianship of Future Generations & Rights and Responsibilities of Present Generations/Writing Earth Rights into Law with Carolyn Raffensperger (Science and Environmental Health Network) and Linda Sheehan (Earth Law Center)
Energy Injustice & Environmental Racism: How Dirty Energy Impacts Communities with Mike Ewall (Energy Justice Network)
Teaching Earth Democracy with Erica Krug, Dan Walkner, and Susan Friess, Madison Public School Teachers
Powering up for People, Peace and the Planet: Re-envisioning the Climate Movement: Building Resistance, Collaboration, Transformation with Victor Wallis writer on ecology and politics, Sherri Mitchell (Land Peace Foundation, ME), Stephanie Kimball (350.org-Madison), and Jill Stein (GSC Pres)
The Climate of Justice: Asserting our Human, Civil and Earth Rights with Lauren Regan (Civil Liberties Defense Center), Sherri Mitchell (Land Peace Foundation, ME), and Jill Stein (GSC Pres)
Activist Training: Know Your Rights with Lauren Regan (Civil Liberties Defense Center)
Big Extraction/Big Pollution/Bigger Resistance with representatives from frontline Indigenous and local communities fighting the XL and Enbridge pipelines, sand pits, Penokee Hills Taconite Mine, Rio Tinto Eagle Mine and high capacity water pumping and David Cobb (GSC Chair, Comm on Corps & Democracy)
Re-Envisioning the Climate Movement: Building Resistance, Collaboration, Transformation with Victor Wallis (writer), Sherri Mitchell (Land Peace Foundation, ME), and Jill Stein (GSC Pres)
Water for Life: Local Ordinances to Protect Water, Springs and Rivers with Jane Goddard Jane Goddard (Center for Earth Jurisprudence) and Linda Sheehan (Earth Law Center)
Contours of an Ecologically Sound Economy with Chris Wallace, writer on the ecological crisis and the commons (Bomblog), Rachel Smolker (Biofuelwatch), and Mike Ewall (Energy Justice Network)
Stop the World’s Largest Trade Agreement’s Harm to the Earth, Agriculture and Food Systems with Jim Goodman (GSC Sec Ag) & Family Farm Defenders, George Naylor (past president, National Family Farm Coalition), and others to be announced
Next Stage: Building the Movement for People, Peace and the Planet – From #Fearless Summer to Fearless All Year Round – dynamic group participant discussion
ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY
economics as if people mattered
Principal Conveners:
It’s Our Economy
Liberty Tree
Contact: Margaret Flowers (
GSC Sec Health)">Margaret Flowers at mdpnhp@gmail.com
Session leaders/participants are involved in:
- Build sustainable local living economies
- Democratize the money supply
- Create publicly owned banks
- Create worker and consumer owned and operated businesses
- Develop participatory budgets
- Fight and prevent foreclosures
- Fight for health care reform and alternative health delivery systems
Sessions:
- Essential Information for Starting a Public Bank with Marc Armstrong (GSC Sec Commerce), (Public Banking Institute)
- The Emerging Shape of the Next System with Gar Alperovitz (GSC New Economy Advisor to the President), (The Democracy Collaborative)
- Re-Imagining Now: Taking the Next Steps with Lillia Frantin and Herb Edwards, People for a New Society
- Rethinking Money with Jacqui Dunne
- Saving the People's Post Office with Jim Sauber (CoS - National Association of Letter Carriers)
- Models for Affordable Housing with Greg Rosenberg
- How to Stop the World's Largest 'Trade Agreement' with Kevin Zeese (GSC AG) and Margaret Flowers (GSC Sec Health) of (It's Our Economy, Occupy Washington D.C., and Popular Resistance), Josh Wise (MN Fair Trade Coalition), and David Newby
- A New Kind of Corporation with Jim Armstrong (? and p.5??)
- Fighting the Debt-Based Economy with Thomas Gokey (and here)
- Public Banking Around the World with Kurt Von Mettenheim
EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY
democratizing our schools & colleges
Principal Convener: The Education for Democracy Organizing Committee
Contact: Roshan Bliss (
GSC Asst Sec Education - Higher Education) at roshan.bliss@gmail.com
The conference will feature case studies, panel discussions, roundtable workshops, and skill-shares about:
- Understanding the corporatization and privatization of education
- Resistance to public school closings
- Student debt emancipation, tuition abolition, and full funding for public education
- Community participation and control in education
- Democratizing governance of education
- Academic freedom, the right to organize, and free speech in schools
- Building a movement for democracy in education in 2013-14
This conference begins one day before the convention officially begins with:
Tuesday, August 6th:
Campus Direct Action Camp - One-day training focusing on building and winning long-term strategic direct action campaigns on college and high school campuses
LOCAL DEMOCRACY
community power & local participation
Principal Convener: The Participatory Budgeting Project
Contact: Maria Hadden at mariahadden@gmail.com
The Local Democracy Conference will showcase the latest examples of communities that are creating a new way of making and implementing decisions. We will convene participatory workshops and panels to share best practices attendees can take back and implement in their communities.
Session topics include (full descriptions coming soon!):
- Participatory Budgeting
- Asserting Home Rule
- Municipal Foreign Policy -- Addressing National & International Issues, Locally
- Food Sovereignty
- Stopping Corporate Boondoggles
- Community-based economic projects
. . . and more!
MEDIA DEMOCRACY
a free press for a free society
Principal Conveners:
WORT 89.9FM
Workers Independent News - bringing the voices of workers, their families, communities and organizations to the widest public possible.
Contact: Norm Stockwell at normstoc@wort-fm.org
What is a grassroots strategy for achieving a vibrant media system in a democracy -- as opposed to a political and regulatory one? A grassroots media strategy is one that builds an independent, community-driven media infrastructure and contests for significant distribution. The Media Democracy Conference will provide an opportunity to address the questions of how to conceive of a democratic media vision, and how to take practical steps to achieve it.
Preliminary List of Sessions:
- Cartooning and Comix as a Form of Organizing
- Labor Media
- Social Media as a Tool for Change
- Threats to Media Democracy (net neutrality, censorship, access/digital divide, leakers & media)
RACE & DEMOCRACY
racial equity, equality & justice
Principal Conveners: The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign
Contact: Cheri Honkala (
GSC VP) at cherihonkalappehrc@gmail.com
This conference focuses on issues facing communities of color; white people addressing racism; bringing a racial justice focus to all our work for democracy; intersections of race, gender, class and sexuality; tactics and strategies for moving towards racial and economic justice; and the work people are doing to make it happen.
Session topics include (full descriptions coming soon!):
Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th
- Civil Rights, Now What? The Plight of African American American Men today.
- The End of Democracy- Emergency Managers in Michigan
- Race Under the Obama Administration
- Immigrant Rights
- Which Way Forward? Indigenous Peoples Rights & the Rights of Mother Earth
- So goes the South, So goes the Nation
- A Global Struggle
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
voting rights & open government
Principal Conveners:
The National Election Integrity Coalition
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Contact: Victoria Collier (
How to Rig an Election) at victoriacollier9@gmail.com
During the Representative Democracy Conference there will be opportunities to discuss and share best practices on the following issues relating to election integrity and instituting real democracy to grow your communities:
- Campaign finance reform
- The Chamber of Commerce
- Election integrity relating to electronic voting
- Felony re-enfranchisement
- Immigrant voting rights
- Verifying election outcomes
- Ranked choice voting
- Voter registration
- Recapturing legislative redistricting
- Constitutional right to vote
Additional Convention Site Links
Agenda/Schedule
Travel
Lodging
Tell the World (graphics and embeds for your site)
Sponsor
Register
Donate
Current National Sponsors
Green Shadow Cabinet
Wisconsin Wave
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom