November 18, 2013

PMA Call Nov 18 2013

Facilitator: David Note Take: Anna

1. Check-ins:

Ruben, Steph, David, Rose, Walda, Jerome, Walter, Anna, Edgar

2. Report on PMA at Tear Down The Walls in Tucson Nov 1-3

Organized by Alliance for Global Justice. 40-50 people attended. Jerome, Walda, David did 3-hr PMA workshop – developed template workshop agenda, adapted materials from toolkit and current political documents for USSF. Many people are interested in connecting into PMA. Org that sponsored is planning to apply for national planning committee. Template that Rose and Walda worked up was really well received. Template agenda will be put up on wiki page. When doing workshop version of PMA, ask people to pick one question (not all three).

3. Upcoming PMA at School of America's Vigil Nov 23

http://soaw.org/november/conference/ Jerome and Walda were invited to participate in (give history of) PMA at School of America’s Watch (Columbus, GA). It was not a traditional PMA, tried to do a lot, and was four hours in length. School of America’s Watch is going through process to determine if they are going to apply to be on national steering committee.

4. University San Fronteras

Developing movement school through SF process that will examine and deepen PMA process and increase effectiveness of social forum process through pedagogy, methodology, and technique and develop liberatory and emancipatory education. Leads to question of movement building and how you develop infrastructure / governance for change at peoples level. Combines with assembly process to evolve process of assembly. Has been developed over past 2-3 yrs. Pulls syntheses together and offers opportunity to cross-pollinate as we build together social forum and regional assemblies. Need to figure out central location to collect information. Atlanta / Project South is anchor/co-partner. Main campus is ATL. Campuses in San Antonio, Puerto Rico, Detroit. Archival site could occur through peoplesmovementassembly.org. In addition to online, there needs to be some person that is contactable to walk through information, as information is overwhelming. Walter likes the idea of there being someone to contact and discuss organizing tools. Steph specifies that while it would be great to have someone on deck, time and resources are needed. Ruben outlines that PMA process is process of building convergence, not just answering questions. David spoke to Women’s Economic Agenda Process and that Move to Amend is going to work on bringing a PMA into Bay Area. Idea of there being one person who is the bottom line connection for each PMA – how to start moving towards accountability without it falling on Project South. Will University San Fronteras apply to be on National Planning committee? Thinking of NPC with PMA has been in alignment– the human power to make it happen has not been there.

5. Southern Movement Assembly Process

Governance process has gotten more solidified and the process had deepened. Recently had 2 hr session with leaders of different orgs based on southern movement assembly so far, started to work on what a glossary would look like. Mobile assembly has been paused till feb/march. Southern Movement Assembly is locally based and will build towards larger assemblies in late summer/fall of next year. Assembly has evolved and developed vision of peoples governance – not as superstructure (package will be online by end of Nov at south to south site). Might produce working report geared towards organizations interested in signing on early next year. PMA should be lined up to have that kind of impact at national level – not just geared towards social forum.

6. Upcoming - Pacific Northwest PMA

Edgar outlined that at the recent Pacific Northwest SF meeting, Portland, WA folks checked in about what’s happening in each area. There was lack of clarity re: how we start to organize for next September; how NW SF PMA looks in NorthWest; and how to approach PMA process (given that there are many different issues in NW). David proposed that folks from work groups get together and people from NPC that know about PMAs could give model workshop to take back to communities and do local PMAs. Pacific Northwest folk have been doing much outreach, they are not familiar with SF process and need to do basic education re: what it is and why it’s important. Place and time for SF has been secured. Need help in getting PMA process and getting political conversation going. Assistance from folk with experience is great. Rose mentioned that the SF announcement has just been put out and people who are interested in being part of organizing cmt are invited to come join. Most involved are new groups. It’s been hard finding some organizations. Ruben specifiedd that there was an attempt at NW SF in the past that failed and we have to analyze whether there has been a big divide between environmentalists (whites) and red community and people of color. Assemblies are needed to bring all together in one tent. Walda said that there needs to be specific conversation re: players in this specific PMA to lend historic experience. Walda, Jerome, Ruben, and Edgar will be on that call and Edgar will take responsibility for coordinating call. Walda will send out email to get it going.

7. Appalachia (Evelyn – direct action working group)

Looking at Sept/Oct in West Virginia DAWG and Project South have been in contact

8. Canadian Social Forum Report

Anna and Spence will give update re: relationship with Canadian Social Forum at next call in a month.

9. Move to Amend Thematic Assembly

An economic democracy movement to amend US constitution. National leadership team - an anchor org with other partners. Will be holding 3 thematic assemblies in 2014. 11 folk took agenda that Rose and Walda created – contextualized within USSF and WSF and situated it and went through what it is and why.