| Metro Organizer July 29, 2009 |
Action Alert Secure One of the Missing Central Corridor LRT Stops Now! Events Climate Justice: A Retreat for a New Way Forward Building the Emerging Social Justice Movement Resources Win a Popular Education Mini-Box Library Neighborhood Responses to the Foreclosure Crisis Articles Health Care, Climate and the Progressive Movement Job Opportunities Community Engagement Coordinator - Twin Cities Media Alliance State Director - Clean Water Action To submit an item to the next Metro Organizer, please contact Tracy Babler Action Alert I Secure One of the Missing Central Corridor LRT Stops Now! 1 pm You can help us secure one of the missing Central Corridor LRT stations by attending the Central Corridor Management Committee (CCMC) special meeting tomorrow. At this meeting, the CCMC will vote on whether or not to include one of the missing stations in the Central Corridor project budget. Your presence can make a difference. The Alliance is a member of the Stops for Us coalition, which has been advocating for three additional Central Corridor LRT stops at Hamline, Western and Victoria. These stations would serve some of the lowest-income and most transit-dependent communities in St. Paul. The Stops for Us coalition advocates for the full build out of all three stations by the completion of the Central Corridor LRT line and no net loss in the transit service of bus route #16, which runs along University Avenue. We believe this is a critical opportunity to get one station committed – one down, two to go! For more information on tomorrow's meeting, please contact Joan Vanhala, coalition organizer, at 612-332-4471 or joan@metrostability.org. Event I Complete Streets Workshop 6:30 - 9 pm Attend this special gathering of pedestrian, bicycle and urban advocates about how we can create more livable communities in Minnesota through complete streets. Complete streets are streets designed with all users in mind: pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and people of all ages and abilities, as well as drivers. Transit for Livable Communities, the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and Fresh Energy are teaming up to build community-level momentum for complete streets policies in Minnesota. The Complete Streets workshop will feature Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists, and local experts and elected officials. Presenters will offer introductory information on complete streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, updates on local and national efforts, and opportunities for community members to participate in state and local campaigns. Event I Climate Justice: A Retreat for a New Way Forward Energy Basics Workshop Climate Justice Retreat The Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy is pleased to offer a two-day event on Climate Justice. The events include a pre-retreat Energy Basics Workshop and a full-day Climate Justice Retreat. The Climate Justice Retreat is for grassroots and community leaders who want to learn more about the equity and social justice issues of climate change. It will feature special guest Bill Gallegos, long time environmental justice advocate and executive director of Communities for A Better Environment, who will help us frame how we can make our voices heard. We will discuss how families and communities are being impacted by current climate change polices, and look at what type of solutions can benefit grassroots and environmental justice communities. We will strategize for solutions that work for our communities and are based on a principle of social justice. Event I Building the Emerging Social Justice Movement 5:30 - 7 pm Informed, engaged and mobilized individuals have helped make Minnesota a great place to live, work and play. This has also led to numerous gains for the progressive movement. What's next for the progressive movement and how can we continue to build upon our recent successes and take advantage of this movement moment? Headwaters Foundation invites you to this free event to discuss the Emerging Social Justice Movement. For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Monica Bryand at 612-879-0602 ext. 10, or by emailing monica@headwatersfoundation.org. Event I Overcoming Racism Conference November 6 - 7 The Overcoming Racism conference, hosted by the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative, will offer many resources to expand our understanding and improve our skills in countering racism. It will deepen holistic understanding about the racial domination system, and provide models, skills and tools for advancing day-to-day antiracist transformation. Resource I Win a Popular Education Mini- Box Library Applications are now being accepted for a Popular Education Mini-Box Library. The boxes are designed for individual activists, community-based educators and organizers who are interested in improving their education work in social movements against oppression and violence, and for democracy, sustainability, justice and peace. The contents of an individual box may be adjusted in response to the individual recipient’s interests, but all boxes will contain some of the classic popular education manuals. Some materials are available in Spanish. To apply, submit a letter of application of not more than 600 words addressing the following:
To receive a box, you must agree to attend two education sessions. The first will be when the boxes are distributed and will focus on the contents of the box. The second will be a report back on your use of the materials. The application deadline is September 4, 2009. Send your letter of application to lolds@popednews.org. Resource I Neighborhood Responses to the Foreclosure Crisis On May 12, 2009, the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) hosted a symposium on Neighborhood Responses to the Foreclosure Crisis. Over 30 cities were represented at the symposium, which CURA hosted with the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership. Researchers, local government agency staff and neighborhood staff presented best practices and experiences for responding to the foreclosure crisis. Read a summary of the Neighborhood Responses to Foreclosure Crisis event, which will also appear in the upcoming edition of the CURA reporter. Article I Health Care, Climate and the Progressive Movement The last week or so has been the right-wingers-at-town-hall-meetings moment, and it looks like it’s going to be supplemented by something similar but different: rallies organized by fossil-fuel-supporting corporations. Late last week, Greenpeace released a memo written by the leader of the American Petroleum Institute (API) to heads of oil companies—apparently given to Greenpeace by a less-than-loyal employee of one of the API member companies. The memo referred to a series of "Energy Citizen" rallies in about 20 states across the country. “Energy Citizen,” of course, really means “Fossil Fuel Citizen.” You can be sure that when it comes to the rapidly worsening climate crisis, or the millions of jobs that could be created by a shift to a clean energy economy, or energy independence, or the national security threat of being dependent on Middle East oil—none of these issues will be on the agenda of these particular “energy citizens.” Job Opportunity I Community Engagement Coordinator - Twin Cities Media Alliance The Twin Cities Media Alliance is seeking a community engagement coordinator who will build relationships with organizations and leaders in diverse Twin Cities communities and promote the use of the Twin Cities Daily Planet and the Twin Cities Media Alliance as community resources. Outreach to ethnic, immigrant and other underserved communities is a priority. Job Opportunity I State Director - Clean Water Action Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund are seeking an energetic and experienced state director to oversee our operations in Minnesota. Clean Water Action is a national citizens’ organization working for clean, safe and affordable water, prevention of health-threatening pollution, creation of environmentally-safe jobs and businesses, and empowerment of people to make democracy work. Clean Water Fund provides research, education, organizing and technical assistance to strengthen grassroots environmental efforts around the country, promoting the public interest on issues related to water, natural resources, health and a healthy economy. To contribute a news item for the next Metro Organizer, please contact Tracy Nordquist Babler at tracy@metrostability.org. Like the Metro Organizer? Donate to the Alliance. Get this from a friend? Subscribe to the Metro Organizer. Alliance for Metropolitan Stability I 2525 Franklin Ave E, Suite 200 I Minneapolis, MN 55406 I 612-332-4471 | |
