FOR ACT CALL 5/15/13 11:00AM Eastern, 90 minutes On Call: Walda, Jerome, David, Rose, Sylvia, Jen Facilitator: David Agenda: 1) USSF Coordinator Job Description & Search/Hiring process (Jackie-20 min.) Sylvia: Reports on proposed changes to initial draft (from Detroit National Coordinator (NC) hire).
- Need to think of this position’s role in working with local organizing committee
- What role will NC play in PMAs?
- Initial position was full time, so we need to be realistic about time expectations
- Notes how time consuming the detail/coordination work can be
- What roles ACT will play in supporting the overall coordination tasks?
- Recommends thinking about role of resource dev. Work group in financial oversight and work with fiscal sponsor. Work group should play an ongoing role in this work.
Rose: We need to assess the needs we have now and what this half-time position will consist of. Noted that discussion in Road to USSF3 (?) working group indicated that PMA process will assume some coordination work regionally.
Walda: Suggests that the critical pieces we need done are:
- ACT-NPC coordination/Admin;
- Coordination with outreach and PMAs; (NOTE: These are 1st 2 bullet points on draft job description)
- Communication with Working Groups;
- website and communication
Fiscal piece should be held by ACT—NC can play secondary role here. ACT must do overall coordination work.
Jerome: Agrees- This hire should be kept simple/ focused on basic needs we have now. All work groups should have a liaison with NC David: Agrees: We’re not hiring someone to do the overall coordination work. This is a support position that will be focused on the points Walda raised. Rose: We should take more time to review the full document and identify any other essential pieces that should be added here. Sylvia: Have we thought about creating additional support positions with smaller stipends? [no] Walda: Understands logic of this approach in the past; but the coordination of these folks presents an additional challenge that we’re not able to manage. David: Additional decisions we needed: Who will be the contact person for this? What deadline? How will we advertise? Sylvia: We need to make clear whether travel support is provided; personnel policy in fiscal manual. There needs to be a point person for NC to go to; this all needs to be clarified. Rose: Will redraft the job description. Discussion about how to advertise: NPC list Jackie will be contact to send applications. Rose will send re-draft by Monday. We will post to NPC list on Wednesday 5/22. Deadline for applications: Saturday, June 15.
2) Working group reports (30 min.) Resource dev. (David) From Victor $84K minus about $1K still outstanding bills. $50K allocated for USSF3; $4K for site visit allocation; $4K for video production from Detroit. -$5k allocated for retreat Still working on finding regular time for WG meeting. (Jacqui P. is not able to co-chair right now) Rose: asked about membership on working group. Noted that we might reach out to new NPC members to ask for volunteers to join working group. Walda: Raised question about the role of ACT in presenting the USSF image/story to funders.
Outreach (Jerome): Idle no More/Defenders of the Land-national strategy meeting in Canada late June/early July. It’s possible for USSF to get invite to that. We should be there. Leadership meeting of Move to Amend; People’s Movement Assembly meeting in the NW; Regional social forum in NW is being planned—Edgar and Monica are part of that. David: Asked about Seventh Generation Fund contact –they want to join NPC. Walda: Noted that the WG is working on an email to welcome new NPC members and invite them to join working groups. Two new groups have been approved by NPC; Peaceful Uprising application still needs to be approved by ACT/NPC. ACT: Needs to review and approve new NPC Application Rose: Asks about NOLA visit. Jerome will follow up. David: Proposes that we ask Jerome to get USSF an invite to the Canada meeting and we approve sending Jerome to that.
Comms./Tech: (Jackie) WG is being re-organized and we’re waiting to let some planning develop before we regularize meetings. Regular meetings will begin after Left Forum caucus of WG: co-chairs. Will be meeting with Roberto to discuss how language justice will connect to Comms/Tech WG. ACT Input needed for May newsletter: Welcome new members-links to website – feature these two new groups/ interviews? Site selection call Left Forum info. International Committee update? Webinar on political alignment and PMA process- if we can find date for this we can include. [Outreach working group responsibility—for May or June newsletter] Need to add new NPC members to Website.
International Committee: Had report back calls on WSF. Jerome –asks about meeting in Brazil in fall—Strategic Seminar of Social Movements in Brazil/early fall–decided by IC in Tunis. We should have people there if it happens—details forthcoming.
Road to USSF3 Site selection- call with Philly applicants on May 29 at 10:00AM/ questions about strengthening application; expanding number of anchors. INPUT invited from ACT folks—you are also welcome to join this call if you wish, or send comments to Walda or Rose. Next WG call is Sunday 4:00PM eastern.
3) ACT Retreat Logistics/Aims/ Etc. (see draft—based on earlier ACT and NPC meeting notes: below and at http://wiki.ussocialforum.net/wiki/ACT_Retreat_Planning )
ACT Strategic Retreat and National Consulta: (Approved by NPC May 10, 2013)
NPC approved plans for a strategic retreat for ACT members, working group delegates (1 per group), and key NPC/Allies to attend. Other NPC members can elect to send/fund their own delegates too. • The meeting will take place in July after the July 15 site application deadline. • We will do a National Consulta prior to retreat asking for input on the key questions to be discussed. This will inform and guide the retreat discussion and expand input/participation from other groups that have been part of USSF. • Retreat will be supported with existing USSF funds, but efforts to raise funds elsewhere will be pursued. • $5,000 has been allocated for this meeting. Additional fundraising around this meeting will seek to cover part of this cost. David/Resource Development will take up this charge and seek funding for this meeting.
PURPOSE: Key aims of this retreat is for those most engaged in the recent effort to move the USSF process forward to: 1) Develop USSF Organizing/Coordinating Structure. Review our past experience with previous 2 USSFs and the operation of the NPC, including the conflicts and strains that have emerged during this time. The purpose of this review is to help us: a. Identify best and worst practices as we build models and structures to help us move forward. Specifically, we need these structures/models/practices to help us i. advance the aims of USSF-3 (i.e., supporting PMA process leading to a “social forum of a new type”) and ii. manage our workload better over the long-term so that national coordination work doesn’t come at the expense of people’s working group efforts and so we don’t generate the burnout and local stresses that we have experienced in the past.
2) Develop strategic plan for USSF -3. This will be based on timeframe and strategy paper developed by Road to USSF3 working group and ACT.
As part of #1:
• We need to have larger discussion of what is behind decisions of some NPC groups to step back and how this should inform our work moving forward. (OUTREACH: Can you provide a report on this question?)
For #2: How we build the road (Strategy paper for discussion at retreat-prepared by Road WG) • PMAs/Educational process • Strategic and tactical outcomes of USSF 3 • Develop detailed timetable for USSF3 • Coordination and workload • Fundraising
National Consulta plan • Circulate Road strategy paper • Develop questionnaire on lessons/models/strategies for organizing national movement coalition and vision of social forum of a new type/political moment, etc. • Implementation plan: Online circulation? Other modes?
Discussion:
Rose: Reminds that we have a sub-group can work more on agenda. Rose, Liz, Jen We need to come up with date, place. Jerome: Outreach will report summary of why NPC members stepped back Walda: Cautions against collecting more data through a consulta; this retreat can be a way for us to synthesize the vast material/information we have already. We have material we still have to make use of and should make sure we create space for this. David: Proposes that the sub-group moves forward with this wiki draft and come to next ACT call with a proposal. Rose: Can promise to have a proposal from sub-committee circulated to ACT in early June. A report on the work will be made at next ACT call. Jen: will line up sub-committee call.
4) USSF Strategy paper (Draft circulated)
Jackie: Drafted the paper in response to questions Resource Dev. Felt it needed to be able to address in fundraising work.
Discussion:
- Need to flesh out PMA process section
- Need more on GGJ/WSF and USSF-1/ alliances that came out of USSF-1—right to the city; …
-The point that convergence leads to new and stronger networks. -we are committed to moving from convergence to coherence. Networks will continue to be formed/built/strengthened. Social Forum of new type will help move beyond creating and supporting networks. -Draft is heavy on communication/tech. Needs to discuss how traditional strategies can be deployed in new ways. Examples from Tunisia-where technology is unevenly available. Details on regional work from outreach / NW social forum planning and PMAs. -PMA toolkit –discusses analyzing political moment, …draw from this. -List USSF goals –to show ongoing thinking/ introduce this early on -Political alignment- idea behind cohesion. In collaboration with campaign work and uniting different fronts of struggle. Education around developing shared analysis. -Length of document? 3-5 pages. -Document should aim not just for fundraising but also for outreach. Need to shorten/tighten. Jackie and Walda will work on revising this draft and circulating by next ACT meeting.
Next ACT CALL 5/29/13 11:00AM Eastern, 90 minutes Facilitator: Jerome Notetaker: Jackie
Agenda:
1) Working group reports (30 min.)
2) USSF Coordinator Job Description & Search/Hiring process (Rose-15 min.)
3) ACT Retreat Logistics/Aims/ Etc. (see draft: http://wiki.ussocialforum.net/wiki/ACT_Retreat_Planning ) (Rose, Jen, Liz: 30 min)
4) USSF Strategy paper (Draft circulated) Jackie & Walda 15 min.
Next ACT Meeting 6/5/13 11AM