8-25-09 LOC meeting at MWRO Office

DLOC Meeting 8.25.09

I. Introductions

II. Community Agreements reviewed

III. Structure reminders

a. All committees were to elect 2 co-chairs. We still don’t know who the chairs of some committees are. Email Rocio if you are a chair and let her know.

b. All report backs need to be on paper at the USSF office as well- for those who can’t access the wiki or email. From now on, don’t forget to turn in a hard copy as well.

c. Each committee needs to select a committee person to be on the national working groups as well. Let DLOC know who this is.

IV. Report Backs

a. Logistics (Shirley Chalmers): discussed best place to have the youth encampment – either at Friends School or WSU athletic field to avoid city restrictions. They are contacting people at both locations to explore further. Tents for the USSF should be placed at Wayne Community College and at Cobo to avoid taking down and putting up so many times. First day is the opening march, tents at Hart Plaza the next day and WCCC. Tours of urban gardens, Heidelberg, etc will happen on the second day. Detroit urban police cadets may be used for security. About a dozen letters have been sent to Detroit Hotels (next Dearborn). They are contacting the man (Pastor Butler) who organized logistics for the recent Bapitst convention for logistical help. Tents/hotels/dorms done by September as a foundation, then will work on buses, and move from there. Quentin asked about disability accessibility progress- like transportation and housing. No specifics yet, but are working on this. Maureen: about 1,600 rooms have been reserved so far. They looked at them to make sure that some are accessible. Also working with DOT to provide buses from airport – and that some are accessible. Security options will be invited to next logistics meeting (3 identified so far: Threat Management, a Chicano group in SW, and a youth-oriented group).

b. Religion (Bill Willie-Kellerman): People of Faith and Spirituality Committee is new name. Met on 8.13.09 at Detroit Baptist Temple. Two major outcomes: worked on task and purpose statement and vision statement. Will send to Diana and Rocio and Will. Divided the committee into subgroups to work with other local committees- i.e. Outreach, logistics, action/people’s assembly, programming. Each of these has a chair. Next meeting is Sept. 10th at 10 am at King Solomon Missionary Baptist, 6100 14th St.. There were several folks from the DLOC at the last meeting and this was helpful. Council of Baptist Pastors have been involved. Jim Perkins (of this committee) has been giving lectures to the council about themes related to the USSF and pulling folks in to get involved in the USSF. We are all invited to the next lecture at noon next Tuesday the 1st of September. Bill will send email invite to the group.

c. Sustainability (Alan): Discussion around hiring a director of sustainability/greening operations to show that the environment and sustainability are taken seriously. Decided to make a clear definition (via memo) of what sustainability is to guide other committees and working groups in sustainability. Recycle Detroit is interested in implementing the recycling program. Contacted woman in charge of water at the 2007 USSF. Her email bounced, but Marion will give them her phone number. Discussed using city hydrants for water and are looking into the fees for that. Want people to bring water bottles rather than selling water in disposable plastic. Next meting: Café 1923 on Sept. 1st. Maureeen: make sure you have meetings in places where you don’t have to buy anything so everyone can afford to attend.

d. Communications (Reg): Job posted a few weeks ago, and want to post it somewhere where the most people will see it. They are looking at a proposal from national programming committee and one from the design action collective. They have a call scheduled for this Thurdsay and will look at preparing a budget. They have a draft summary (passed out) of the TRW Campaign and are looking for co-sponsors (orgs and individuals). They are raising money to defray costs of workers coming up from Mexico for a Midwest tour. Julio is coordinating this campaign and communications is helping with the materials. Tentative date is the 18th.

e. Technology: no one to report out

f. Culture and Program (Oya): trying to coordinate with working group on deeper level to bring talent and cultural expression from all over the world to share their talent at the USSF. Brazil artist confirmed. Dead Prez manager will participate in helping us reach out to find more artists. About 15 artists collaboratives have signed on to the USSF. Meeting with ACCESS and the Arab American community to bring out the Arab American community. Working with Religion Committee to bring choirs, etc. There will be extemporaneous art at Hart Plaza. Murals, human sculptures, etc. Kresge may help fund. So Suzuki will help with murals. Want to beautify houses and closed schools in the community. Working on getting funding for this stuff. Working on budget, estimating costs of equipment. Poetry, concerts, etc as fundraisers. Can start using Hart plaza on the Monday of the USSF. Film Festival at Cobo or at WCCC during USSF. Rocio: don’t forget that we want to have Satellite sites around city. Oya: Committee has reached out to galleries, etc around the city during the social forum to support local artists and local venues. Murals will be around city, gardens around the city, etc. A question was asked about reclaiming decrepit spaces (like the train station). Oya: We have be safe. Rocio: there have been talks about taking over of spaces (like the YMCA by Clark Park).

g. Outreach: Nisa and Dessa kicking ass and taking names. Last meeting, we meeting opposite from USSF DLOC. Wea re talking about the different events that are going on, and outreach is trying to devise a system to be at the most important events. Questions were asked about the interactions of different committees. Religion and outreach, communications/outreach with the tools. Where does the overlap happens between committees. Where are the job postings? Where do they go? Outreach is the volunteers coordinators for the labor day parade. Positions: 1. Tabling in front of Central United Methodist – giving out info and asking questions 2 . Walking through the parade with the parades. 3. Walking thought the sidelines, and engaging viewers. Do we want to have people marching? Is it worth it? Is it the best of use of our volunteers? It might be better to have people holding a banner, rather than marching in the parade. Passing a sheet for volunteers to sign up. The parade is at 9 am, but should have people coming in as early as 7AM and last till about noon. Is the labor committee planning anything for this day? And how should we coordinate? What materials are we passing? We have a postcard, for the Labor Day. Postcards in 4 languages. Will trust that materials wll be made available. Are we allowed to hang a banner from the church? We’ll have to find out. 12-3 Saturday the 29th, making banners, don’t wear pretty clothes. Next potluck is Sept. 17, 2009 from 6-8 at Fairbank elementary. The theme is “The state of our schools” the potluck will happen outside. Passing around a document from the potluck committee. Providing hotdog, and….and asking for people to bring sides. Having outreach event a couple of days in advance to outreach to the near by community. Will have a potluck flyer, to use over and over. Nisa: having a more active role on the calendar. Having more activist heads involved in order to have more people come in, and bring more folks in. Next meeting at northwest activities center at 6pm, next Tuesday. Outreaching to access, the Arab American community. They are having a conference at the beginning of October, where we will outreach more.

h. Senior Citizens (Marion): Had a good and long meeting with seniors and they are interested in helping with the issues of the USSF. They are confronted with many issues and wan to work on them. Will meet once a month. Marion will send out next meeting date soon. Need to pick two chairs of the committee.

i. Labor (Reg): Tomorrow will be a labor luncheon (at IBEW), an annual affair, speaker will make announcement about the USSF and getting Labor involved. (Passed out leaflet that they will pass out at the event). AFSCME will print in English and Spanish. Health Care Forum at IBEW Local 58 on Friday, Canadians will talk about their system. There’s another Labor Day parade comes down MI (usually the building trades) so we’ll need to canvass both parades. Labor Committee meeting will be after the luncheon tomorrow- hope to reach out to more labor folks that day and bring them in. Happy that Brenda Moon has been appointed by the national AFL-CIO to work with the USSF.

j. Disability (Quentin): Working on meeting up with various disability activists locally and nationally. Will ask NPC where they are at with involving people with disabilities. They are formulating their next meeting time and place.

k. Youth Committee Discussion: Question- who’s chairing? Need to elect. Projects are in the works for them to work on (they don’t like meetings!) Youth Outreach Proposal was passed out by Rocio. Currently this “committee” is project-focused. Proposal for Mural Workshop/Action is two fold: jump start the committee, make a mural. Ideal budget is $3,900 without donated materials…want to cut budge in half by having materials donated. Want to invite local organizations to join and donate. Send potentially interested folks to Rocio. Timeline: need to find a date and then incorporate it into schools so they have enough time to get deep in the process. Question about how to keep youth involved and engaged in this – are murals the best way? Maureen: this is just one project to drawn in youth. There are others too. We want to create the space/atmosphere for them to become activists. Question: Should we get the leader first? Then continue with the projects and drawing in more youth. Oya: we have to get them here first and get them to stay. Hush House is working with 50 youth, we can tap them. Rich: it’s not about them coming to us, it’s about us going to them. Alan: Indian Family Services also does murals each year (Rocio will hook up with them about this project.)

• • • Banner Making: Saturday, 8.29.09 from 12-3 at the 2nd floor of Central United Methodist. Paint and brushes need to be bought for the making of Labor Day banners. Maureen says the money just arrived.

• • • Volunteer to talk to people at the Labor Day Parade, Monday, 9.7.09. Sign up with the Outreach Committee.

• • • USSF toll free number is: 1-877-515-8773

V. Budget (brief because running out of time)

a. Money for potlucks being found by Maureen.

b. Dinner at DLOC once a month for everyone who comes. More than chairs are invited to the DLOC; just chairs do the reports.

c. We need to purchase bio-degradable plates, forks, etc- Marueen has a contact on this and has the money set aside.

d. Who do we go to to get money from now to USSF? Each working group was supposed to propose needed money to NPC by 8.15.09, but only culture and international did this. Does DLOC need to come up with its own budget? OR does each committee get money from national working group. This is trying to be figured out. In case, be prepared to submit a budget. Maureen is going around asking for people to give us resources.