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Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Report back from Logistics Brigade [Detroit Logistics, Sylvia/Steph]
Report Backs from the PMAs in Detroit and the Bay [and others that have happened up till now]
An update on the numbers [outreach and fundraising]..Cindy
Program and Culture submissions process and dates update/proposal [Walda]
Communications Working Group Update [Jackie - see below]
Program Booklet [Sha]
Upcoming OC Meeting
Political Convos [Sara]

==

On the call:

Adrienne, Ruckus Society Byron, Freedom Road Rishi, Leftist Lounge Kali, USHRN Sara, IJAN Carrie, Amnesty Carlton, Alternate Roots Flo, IJAN Jamala, Freedom Road Walda, LRNA Reg, SE MI JWJ Darryl, AFSC Tammy, Strategy Center Jackie, Sociologists without Borders Oya, DLOC Cindy, GGJ Will, USSF Staff Emily, Solidarity Economy George, UFPJ Adele, DLOC Brooke, Jubilee Michael, GGJ Steph, Project South Marisa, Right to the City Danielle, CTWO Jerome, LRNA Jacqui Patterson, Women of Color United Sylvia Orduno, National Organizer USSF Alfredo Lopez, May First Sylvia, USSF Staff Alfredo, Mayfirst/Link Heather, IEN George, IPPN

Notetakers: Oya, Rishi

==

Logistics Brigade Update...Steph

Successful Work Brigade to Detroit meeting with Rita Valenti, Cara Page and Steph met with DLOC folk around logistics, HHEJ and attended the PMA. HHEJ we received a lot of clarity around logistics, first aid care, and moving the planning process forward. It was a very good and productive trip. Came out with a serious to do list as we move forward in the next couple of weeks. Many of the groups in the NPC were listed. People will be alerted soon about how they can plug in.

PMA (Will Copeland)

Detroit PMA March 13, 2010 [detroit area code is 313 so this was fortuitous!]. Attendance was well attended. Even though it was a new experience, and came out with plans of actions. Actions were the theme. People were able to respond. Very good experience. 4 actions cited with resolutions. Restaurant workers, utility shut offs, shutting down the incinerator, and the faith and Spirituality committee challenging Chase Bank. The overall message is for folks who are interested in doing actions, we are encouraging them to work with the community. People have ideas of what they want to happen in the city, but the repercussions may last much longer than the 5 days of the social forum. We are asking people to work with us. We will create a space to welcome and include other actions. A lot of this news is just developing. There is a proposal for right sizing, which is a removal proposal for the city of Detroit due to the shrinking population. We talked about doing another PMA in the month of May to move towards the social forum in June. We are going to talk about specific actions at the PMA. It will be posted on the ABCD website.

The communications stuff was fly! Adele and Matt did podcast. Adrienne was blogging. David M participated in documenting as well [there's video and photos!]. There was a delegation of about 8 people from Chicago who came down. Detroit was excited to see the folks from Chicago and ATL.


Cindy: Outreach With Sha's help, we've been trying to get our count of orgs registered, workshops submitted, funds raised.

  • 406 Organizations registered (27 from the NPC)
  • 1520 individuals (about 1,200 with organizations)
  • $43,218 raised (that's $24,022 completed payments, $19,196 pending)

Sha figured out that vast majority of org's registering at $40, not at $125 recommended. We recommend that we need tp ush folks to register at the higher level Also want to encourage people to use the paypal method, and encourage your members and folks to do Paypal. Has been an issue with some people trying to do workshop submissions Also figured out that registration in Spanish is not up yet. People been telling us on the info calls The info calls are happening. NPC members need to put out that the calls are happening. Added a evening call starting next week. Want to have NPC members to set goals for recruitment/registration. We need to focus on registration in the next period. We're not at our goals. Every NPC member has to help. "We are all Outreach."

Q+A for Outreach... Jamala: Has the glitch on the registration website been fixed? Alfredo: Yes, it was resolved 6 days ago. Org's already registered trying to do workshops were not having their workshops appear everywhere on the site. Not sure if there is other problem

Cindy: Think the problem was that there was no Spanish reg. form. maybe problem with language access Alfredo: as soon as we get the form it goes up.

Jerome: Problem with registering workshops not fixed. When we talked to Mallory on Monday, we gave her list of problems to get fixed. Even on monday during day people were having problems on workshop sub site. Not just submissions not appearing everywhere, but navigability concerns, and also other problems like not all 250 characters showing up

Oya talked to Gwen from registration at the USSF offices in Detroit. Gwen stated that there were lots of folks having problems with registration, workshop, and cultural submission forms.

Alfredo: Original design of form put character cap that would reject people if they tried to put in descriptions longer than 140 characters. On Monday, we decided to change that decision. It seems to screw up people more than help, so we're fixing it. I have to code it, and for that I need programmers. I don't have programmers until this weekend. We're doing 3-days straight. We'll fix it then. You are going to get a flood of problems that people will have in filling out the reg form. Perfectly normal. Have to have a way to help people navigate technology they are not used to it in the meantime.

Cindy: This has to be a priority. We cannot be comfortable with 64 workshops. Need to make website as easy as possible to navigate. People getting on info calls are asking for help navigating website. We shouldn't have to field these questions, people should feel excited about plugging in and submitting their info

Walda: Also worrisome for Program. Official deadline is now moved to April 20th. That deadline change needs to be moved to front page of website. I can lay out our limits: we'd like the form to reflect requests for limits but not have limits reject people's submissions

Will: Glad for deadline extension. Something should go out on e-mail list about extension. In detroit, we're also taking in paper registrations so folks can hand over check, download pdf.

AMB: feedback has been given to ICT. Their only time to make changes this weekend. Right? How are you gonna unroll the decision for extension Walda?

Walda: Will go out in e-mail blast tomorrow. Other feedback was to homepage carry all links very clearly leading to important info: culture, reg, workshops, etc.

George: wait to enter stuff.

Sha: another registration challenge is registering orgs and then wanting to come back and register other people - haven't seen a link yet for that piece. want to make sure that's on ICT's to-do list.

Alfredo: right now not on the list - alfredo will take it on for this weekend.

Sylvia: we're getting a lot of emails around that. there are delays there that are impacting registration.


Communications:

First, I've set up a wiki page (which should eventually be linked to the main web page) to help us collect details on local planning efforts for Detroit. We need help getting this info. posted, so if NPC members can help identify local organizers/links this would be a big help. The wiki is linked to the "press people stories" under "Many Roads to Detroit"

http://wiki.ussf2010.org/wiki/Roads_Near_You...Local_Organizations_Planning_Their_Routes_to_Detroit

Second, we can use help recruiting "correspondents" from the caravans heading to Detroit: I have some lined up from the Delta to Detroit march, but we need correspondents from the people's freedom caravan, the red road to Detroit, and the bike-it group. (contact writers@ussf2010.org)

http://wiki.ussf2010.org/wiki/Press_and_People_Stories#Many_Roads_Lead_to_Detroit:_Follow_the_Action



Program Booklet - Sha

Just sent out yesterday. Proposal to allow people to sponsor a page of the booklet in support of the printing of the booklet. Many NPC orgs have been having a hard time with fundraising, but a number said that they thought they could fundraise through ads. So the proposal is that each page would have a line that would state who the supporters are at different levels of support. At end of booklet would be a full list of supporters. Last time printing was around $17k. Hope to cover printing with the sponsorship.


I am not sure if we have had a broad conversation about sponsoring the social forum. Will we allow tabling? What about corporate labeling? Is the program booklet sponsorship open to anyone, or social movement organizations. Good to take these questions into consideration. Need to set some guidelines. At WSF this is a controversial in issue and there's some policy about prohibiting corporate sponsorship. Clarification - the intention is that this wouldn't be open to corporations. The idea is that this is more for groups who will be attending the USSF. Artists have also asked if they can receive corporate sponsorship to participate in the USSF. Would be helpful to see the resolutions from Kenya, though they are pretty generic re. corporations - shouldn't influence the program. Policy in 2007 we had policy against taking corporate money. Maybe take it on a case by case basis. In some situations it has come down to accept corporate sponsorships but accepting small and family based businesses. So will look at the Kenya principles and revisit this issue. Posted below. Need to clarify corporation, as family businesses and cooperatives could be corporations. Oya, George, Michael, ? will follow up.

Proposal accepted that we accept ads from groups that already fall with the guidelines - ie. social movement orgs.

===

From WSF principals 1.Financial Institutions, Corporations, Supra-National Bodies A) Sponsorship fees from private corporations to advertise or sell products, , which is a classic form of raising funds in the neoliberal paradigm, – will be excluded. Corporate donations shall be accepted only after assessing political implications and the performance of the corporation globally, from amongst the participating movements of the WSF. B) The WSF may access resources from supra-national bodies (United Nations or European Union, for instance). However, in accordance with the Charter of Principles, organizers should be cautious not to allow these institutions to impose political conditions, or to influence or co-opt the organizing process through their support of the WSF.

Corporation policy: Sylvia and Michael, Oya/someone from culture


Political Moment Just about to send out PMA from ABQ, including political moment, key forces, key fronts discussed in that process. Summary of why urgent, why Detroit. THis could be used as basis for a working document. Should go out in next 30 minutes. Lots of good stuff that came out of this discussion. Should be useful for upcoming decisions and future social forums. If anyone has things to add, hopefully will be added in.


OC meeting The agenda is up on the wiki, to OC notes and scroll down to face to face meeting: Cindy, Will Alicia, Mallory, Adrienne. Top issues from political moment survey: Security issues, what are we tying to accomplish, what work is needed to get the numbers, tours of Detroit, etc. Folks are invited to take a look at the wiki and send in comments. Lots on the agenda.

Hey folks, this is Michael, got bumped from call and can't seem to get back on. Question: Will all staff be at the OC meeting? Still waiting for info,but looks like they will be.


We're done! 15 minutes early.

Last item: outreach cards, posters, stickers, there's a huge supply now. So if you need materials, there will be directions shortly for ordering. People will be asked to reimburse for postage. People can also pick them up if they are in/near Detroit. Need at least 48 hours notice so that they can get people to do the packing/shipping.

Great work everyone. Happy St. Patricks!


The Feed the Roots flyer has wrong mailing address.