Conclusions of the SW Organizing TOUR Peoples Movements Assembly June 1-July6, 2011

Conclusions:

1.    We initiated a new development or methodology to the World Social Forum process by developing and organizing a (Social Movements Assembly) Peoples Movements Assembly process before, during and after the social forum.  This has never been done before until now at the US Social Forum II in Detroit in June of 2010.

2.    Devised and organized the Peoples Movements Assembly as the vehicle for ACTION as the Social Forum is an ‘open’ space.  The ACTION process in our determination should accompany the organizing process for the social forum itself.  The ACTION space is just as important as the OPEN space.

3.    The design of having PMA’s during the USSF II proved to be effective and easily incorporated into the overall program of the USSF II.  The PMA’s brought convergence by grouping 4 organizations per PMA.  54 PMA's took place during the USSF II. The process of organizing the ‘assembly of assemblies’ was powerful tool of bottom up and collective organizing, and the synthesis commission worked because it was able to boil together all of the conclusions of each PMA into a National social movements declaration that can become a national social movements political platform for action.

4.    Followed up with the continuity of the PMA NWG and met in February 2011 in Atlanta to develop a vision and mission and a plan of action.  The SW PMA tour and the SE PMA tour resulted from this organizing plan to follow up on the USSF II.  The SE and SW organizing Tour have already accomplished something totally new in the social forum process.  Other PMA’s have been organized in Detroit, Atlanta, Berkeley and Portland, and are being planned in other parts of the country.

5.    The PMA NWG (James B) interviewed and documented the 54 PMA process with actual people from the grassroots organizations that participated and made them happen.  We established the pma2010.org website that has all of the resolutions approved by the PMA’s and the action calendar.  We have the contacts of all of the organizations that registered the 4-hour PMA sessions during the USSF II and in some cases the participants of the PMA’s.

6.    We can now close the PMA/USSF II plan that included before, during and after PMA’s associated with the USSF II process and event itself.  We need to measure our social change impacts, and our accomplishments in the over all process.  We should memorialize what we did and why by developing documentation for publishing and distribution.  We should share the knowledge and experience.

7.    The PMA NWG designed a new facilitation process & pedagogy for the PMA process based on ‘propulsion’ forward by debate and oxygenating the theory and practice plus the imagination of ‘another world is possible’ so we can start building the new while dismantling the old.

 ruben solis garcia

Southeast Peoples Movements Assembly Organizing Tour (plan)

Hello Ruben & Reynaldo!

We submit a picture and shout out from Atlanta! The Southeast Summer Organizing Drive has begun!

RAISING THE GROUND
Organizing the South for Solidarity & Justice
8 Organizations*
17 Organizers
8 Action Sites
10 Weeks
The Southeast Summer Organizing Drive, a new initiative of eight Southern movement building organizations, anchored by Project South, seeks to develop strategic collaborative action across many issues, state-lines, and communities. Given the history of the South and the call to action from many parts of the world, it’s time for a new generation of leadership to redefine and re-imagine our movements.

The Southern Organizing Team is an amazing group of 17 organizers have committed their summers to strengthening organizations that are instrumental to social justice work in their respective communities, cities, states, and movements. We are working together to build organizational partnerships which serve to build, grow, and strengthen a Southern movement for social justice.  Thank you for responding to the call for new energy, new ideas, and new leadership.

Over the last three days, the Organizing Team gathered in Atlanta to train together at the Organizing 2-Day Intensive. We investigated social movement history, discussed the current political moment, and practiced the elements of organizing for community power – base-building, Peoples Movement Assemblies, and community research.

Our coordinated actions will achieve our shared purposes: to dismantle the systems that create and maintain racism, oppression and exploitation while also building the social and economic democracy that advances self-determination and sovereignty on multiple fronts.

We have the history, the relationships, and the commitment to build strong social movements based in the South. We cannot merely build our organizations to sustain themselves as separate entities. We cannot achieve our ambitious visions alone. We can chart our own course to liberation.

* SONG (Regional, based in VA, SC, NC, & AL), Moving Forward Gulf Coast (LA), The Ordinary People’s Society (AL), Kindred Southern Healing Justice Collective (Regional), Georgia Citizens’ Coalition on Hunger (GA), Southwest Workers’ Union (TX), the Arkansas Women’s Project (AR), and Project South (GA & Regional). These organizations represent a new generation of leadership that is invested in innovative and long-term strategies for the next twenty to thirty years. We are using the People’s Movement Assembly as the primary organizing tool because we need new formats, new spaces, and more powerful, collectivized actions. 



Stephanie Guilloud, Co-Chair PMA Working Group (Project South Atlanta. GE)

46 Countries came along on the SW Organizing Tour of Peoples Movements Assembly june 2011 .......46 paises visitan nuestro blog con 3,200 visitas

46 paises visitaron nuestro blog! 3,250 visits!

These are the countries that have visited the BLOG of the Southwest Organizing Tour (June-July 2011) and who followed out tour and thus 'came along with us on the tour'....

Esta es la lista de los paises que han visitado nuestro BLOG que fue parte de la documentacion de la Gira Organizativa del Suroeste (EEUU) de la Asamblea de los Movimientos Sociales y por ende fueron nos acompanaron el la Gira y compartieron en nuestras experiencias...

Colombia
Switzerland
Netherlands
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
Vietnam
Philippines
Costa Rica
Honduras
India
Ireland
Russia
Peru
Italy
Uruguay
Venezuela
Norway
South Africa
CUBA
France
Spain
Dominican Republic
Canada
Iran
Kuwait
Bolivia
Chile
Argentina
Brasil
United Kingdom
Malaysia
Germany
Guatemala
Nicaragua
El Salvador
Israel
Mexico
Puerto Rico
United States
Ukraine
Belgium
Romania
Japan
Poland
Bahrain
Denmark

Accomplishments of Tour...Primeras conclusiones

Southwest Organizing Tour Peoples Movements Assembly (PMA)

June 1-30, 2011

The Southwest Organizing Tour of the Peoples’ Movements Assembly from June 1-30, 2011 organized by Southwest Workers Union (SWU) as part of its commitment to the US Social Forum II (Detroit) and the Peoples Movements Assembly (PMA) finished with many accomplishments and successes.

Reflections:

Ø  Reconnected southwest long term and short term partners

Ø  Chican@ Movement

Ø  Southwest Network for Environmental & Economic Justice

Ø  Indigenous sovereignty

Ø  US Social Forum/PMA plan of action for Before/During/AFTER USSFII plan

Ø  Implementing the AFTER USSF II plan for the National work team/PMA

Ø  Collecting a regional perspective, observations, and testimonials of fronts of struggles happing on the road of the SW organizing tour PMA

Ø  SWU’s commitment to USSF since 2003 proposal to 2006 Border Social Forum and the first Social Movements Assembly, the USSF I PMA, and the USSF II plan/PMA.

Accomplishments:

Visited the following sites:           

1.    El Paso, Texas

2.    Albuquerque, New Mexico

3.    Flagstaff, Arizona

4.    Supai Villiage (Bottom of the Grand Canyon) Havasupai Tribe

5.    Pheonix, Arizona

6.    Tucson, Arizona

7.    San Diego, California

8.    Oakland, California

9.    San Francisco, California

10. Reno & Las Vegas NV

Established Blog:

http:peoplesmovementsassembly.blogspot.com

37 Nations visited blog

2,500 visits to blog in 30 days

Interviews on the road

30 interviews posted on blog

Videos (You tube)

Contacts (Facebook)

E mail

Text/calls

Numbers:

3,000 miles

37 countries visiting blog

2,500 visits to blog

30 interviews/videos posted

300 peoples (personal contact)

30 days on the tour

3 team participants:

Ruben Solis, Reynaldo Padilla-Treuel, Nicole Soto Rodriguez & Alba Mota (Mexicano-Chicano/Puerto Ricans/Dominican)

LA gira del Suroeste de EEUU de La Asambleas de los Movimientos Sociales

La Gira Organizativa del Suroeste de Estados Unidos de La Asamblea de los Movimientos Sociales del 1 al 30 de Junio 2011, fue organizada por Southwest Workers Unión (Unión de Trabajador@s del Suroeste) de San Antonio, Tejas como parte del compromiso con el Foro Social de Estados Unidos II (Detroit 2010) y a LA Asamblea de Movimientos Sociales (equipo nacional) (Peoples’ Movements Assembly).  La Gira fue todo un excito porque cumplió sus metas, las visitas a las ciudades y sitios que se había comprometido y dentro del calendario que se planeo.

En camino a Detroit al Foro Social de Estados Unidos II el 2010, el comité nacional incluyo en su trabajos un equipo nacional para la organización y realización de una Asamblea de los Movimientos Sociales al final del FSEU II.  El Equipo Nacional de La Asamblea de los Movimientos Sociales que en Estados Unidos le cambio el nombre a La Asamblea de los Movimientos Sociales a ‘Peoples Movements Assembly’ (PMA) pero que es lo mismo.  Lo significante del plan de acción del Equipo Nacional de La Asamblea de los Movimientos Sociales (LAMS) fue que se trazo un plan ANTES del FSEU II, DURANTE el Foro mismo, y DESPUES del Foro II.  Esta Gira del 2011 corresponde al plan de acción DESPUES del Foro Social de Estados Unidos II de Detroit, Michigan de Junio 2010. 

El plan de acción DESPUES del foro reconocía que después del Foro hay una caída de energía, tiempo y enfoque de acción sobre los acuerdos y resoluciones que fueron aprobadas por LAMS y decidimos que era necesario atender esta caída con una movilización como la gira.  La Gira tiene como metas el hacerle seguimiento a los ‘frentes de lucha’ que fueron identificados en la LAMS y que requieren una acción o movilización que se acordó.  Aquí partimos de la premisa que los 14 ejes temáticos identificados por la Comité Nacional y el FSEU II, al terminar las asambleas (54) que se auto-gestionaron y organizaron se organizo una ‘asamblea de todas las 54 asambleas, y se sintetizo la declaración final de la Asamblea Nacional que se llevo acabo el ultimo día de FSEU II y a la vez se redujo los 14 ejes temáticos en 10 Frentes de Lucha de los movimientos sociales en EEUU.  Lo ideal es que cada frente de lucha se hubiese consolidado por el liderato del grupo de organizaciones que se unieron para organizar las asambleas (antes, durantes y ahora después) en relación al proceso foro.  El LAMS se convierte en el proceso de ACCION en relación al foro y que es una ESPACIO Abierto.  En Febrero 2011 en Atlanta se reunió el Comité LAMS para detallar el plan de acción de después del FSEU II.  Allí se organizo la Gira del Suroeste por Southwest Workers Unión y la Gira del Sureste por Project South de Atlanta, Georgia.  Además se planea organizar LAMS en todo el país conforme a como se identifican organización que ‘anclen’ el proceso local o regional.

37 paises visitaron nuestro blog

2,500 visitas al blog

30 entrevistas

300 personas contactadas directamente

3,000 millas corridas

Finalizo la GIRA del Suroeste (EEUU) Asambleas de los Movimientos Sociales Junio 2011

Finaliza la Gira organizativa del Suroeste de Estados Unidos por La Asamblea de los Movimientos Sociales...

Hoy el 6 de Julio, 2011 llegamos a casa de la GIRA del Suroeste por parte de Southwest Workers Union de San Antonio, Tejas y que fue una gira organizativa de La Asamblea de Los Movimientos Sociales por todo el suroeste incluyendo Tejas, Nuevo Mexico, Arizona, California y Nevada.  La Gira que inicio a principios de Junio del 2011 tenia como proposito visitar todos los movimientos sociales que fuera posible.

También establecimos un BLOG en Ingles y Español para dar a conocer sobre nuestra GIRA y sus resultados como también incluir entrevistas de video de líderes de luchas sociales.

La Gira fue parte del plan de trabajo del FORO SOCIAL de ESTADOS UNIDOS II que se llevo acabo en Junio 2010 en Detroit, Michigan. Se organizo una gira y numerosas asambleas ANTES del FSEU II y DURANTE el mismo foro se auto-gestionaron 54 asambleas en 14 ejes temáticos.  La Gira esta fue parte del plan de trabajo DESPUES del FSEU II para que no queden las resoluciones de acción en el aire sin darle seguimiento.  Creemos los del equipo de trabajo de La Asamblea de los Movimientos Sociales que este modelo de acción antes, durante y después es una aportación novedosa que estamos colaborando desde las entrañas del monstro.

Mas viene sobre las conclusiones...

Ruben Solis Garcia, Co-coordinador del (Peoples Movements Assembly) La Asamblea de los Movimientos Sociales del Foro Social de EEUU

Organizador con Southwest Workers Union de San Antonio, Texas una organización de lucha!

My Solidarity role & Spiritual journey on the SW PMA Tour

My Solidarity Role and Spiritual Journey …with the Southwest Organizing tour of the People Movements Assembly (PMA)

I landed in San Francisco, California on Friday, July 1^st, 2011 to meet the main organizer of the Southwest Organizing tour of the PMA’s, Ruben Solis.  I felt very humble by his invitation. This road traveling via the Southwest of the United States has taught me about true solidarity and spirituality in a way I have never felt and/or experienced before.

As human beings, living in a world of duality: wrong or right, good or bad, but this duality can only be grasped at an intellectual level, knowing that we are not just intellectual beings, but more than that, we are spirituals beings who should follow intuition more often (or our heart for that matter), experiencing the PMA’s tour at this spiritual level, linking it to a human experience has been extraordinary duality for me. Learning about our indigenous’ struggle to keep and save their sacred lands and symbols from being profaned by the money hungry developers building roads and big houses right through their lands where these nations, as far as Mexico, come for sacred gatherings in New Mexico. The PMA’s has been a terrific and amazing tool for looking of how we start shifting the paradigm of the way we think and place collective and global issues in a square box but rather in a circle that is fluid and not interrupted by outside forces. This is the beauty of analyzing and searching for our potential as loving beings, transcending to a conscious level of action, which our ancestors are calling for.  

During the last decade, I have been blessed with guidance of my African and indigenous ancestors, setting the way for me to join forces with Dr. Maritza Jimenez, Maria Moreno and others amazing and dedicated brothers and sisters to organize a delegation to the border of The Dominican Republic and Haiti under the umbrella of our organization FUNTOSALUD International (www.funtosaludintl.org) to empower our people with holistic medicines, medical care, preventive workshops for families; arts and languages for the children.

By Alba L Mota (Bronx-NY)

Driving Back to San Antonio...

End of PMA Southwest Organizing Tour (June 1-30, 2011)

The Southwest regional organizing tour of the Peoples Movements Assembly (PMA) ended on June 30th in Oakland, California.  The SW PMA tour went through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada.  The tour team included all the way from Puerto Rico, Reynaldo Padilla Teruel participated in all the tour and Nicole Soto Rodriguez who participated in half of the tour plus Ruben Solis Garcia the organizer of the tour.

The tour set up this blog (http:peoplesmovementsasssembly.blogspot.com) and have been documenting the tour in write ups and photos and video interviews.  The blog is up in Spanish and English.  We have had over 2,500 visits to the blog in four weeks from 35 countries!

On this return to SA, the tour has Alba Mota from New York City joining me to for the long drive and some stop/visits on the way back...thanks Alba.

Reflections and conclusion plus accomplishments willl be coming shortly.

ruben