Hi Folks, See the Citizens' Assembly website at www.citizensassembly.com/citizensassembly This site will soon have its own domain name, but hey it's still a working website full of useful information like recent news about Wisconsin environmental issues, toll-free numbers of Wisconsin Representatives and statewide media email addresses. If your organization is coming to the Citizens' Assembly or would like to endorse it, there's still time to get listed on the site. Just send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kira Henschel's Clarity-Consultants is sponsoring the site. Be sure to send her a big thank you, [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more information about the Citizens' Assembly in Madison March 23-25, see below. Hope to see you this weekend in Madison! Alice For immediate release Contact: Zoltan Grossman or Debra McNutt, [EMAIL PROTECTED] or (608) 246-2256 "CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY" to be held March 23-25 in Madison to bring together opponents of corporate rule in Wisconsin A Citizens' Assembly to unite opponents of corporate rule in Wisconsin, will be held on March 23-25, 2001 at the U.W.- Madison Humanities Building. The goal of the Citizens' Assembly is to bring together rural and urban organizers to help build a statewide "people power" movement, and plan for democratic and sustainable alternatives. The Citizens' Assembly grew out of an April 29, 2000 Capitol rally and joint meetings of three groups: The Midwest Treaty Network's Wolf Watershed Educational Project (against the Crandon mine), Save Our Unique Lands (against the Duluth- Wausau transmission line), and Waterkeepers of Wisconsin (against Perrier springwater pumping). These three rural anti- corporate alliances--including Native Americans, environmentalists, sportfishers, and farmers--have begun to work together, but many people in Wisconsin cities are not aware of their issues. Meanwhile, residents of rural counties are not fully aware of urban-based anti-corporate issues brought up by unions, student groups, and others. The Citizens' Assembly was organized as one step to build mutual awareness and work, and look toward devising community strategies and alternatives. Zoltan Grossman of the Midwest Treaty Network said, "Around the country and around the world, corporate policies are being questioned by broad-based alliances involving many different groups and issues. It is time to celebrate that same populist spirit in Wisconsin, one century after Bob La Follette's progressive movement came to power. The Citizens' Assembly is only one of many steps in building a Wisconsin 'people power' movement, to curb corporate power and its representatives in the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and state government." Debra McNutt of the Midwest Treaty Network added that "we do not want to focus only on negative stories of corporate violations, but positive stories of how people from different races, ages, and walks of life have worked together to fight for their rights." The conference will be based in 3650 Humanities (on U.W. Library Mall at the corner of State & Park streets). It will begin Friday night, March 23 with a 7-10 pm panel on rural Native and non-Native opposition to the Crandon mine, transmission line, Perrier, and agribusiness. On Saturday morning, March 24 (9 am-12 noon) will be workshops on corporate practices in Wisconsin, also including biotechnology, poverty, education, and workplace issues. A panel (1-2:30) will focus on on the role of the labor movement, race, the law, and education in the movement for democracy. Saturday afternoon (2:30-5:30) will have workshops on strategies and alternatives, including Native sovereignty, legal strategies, reforming state agencies, health care, grassroots organizing, anti-corporate strategizing, people's energy policy, and public relations, followed by a plenary session (5:30-6:30). On Sunday March 25 (9 am-12 noon) will be organizers' skills training workshops. PARTICIPATING GROUPS: Midwest Treaty Network, Wolf Watershed Educational Project, Save Our Unique Lands, Waterkeepers of Wisconsin, Madison Treaty Rights Support Group, U.W.-Madison American Indian Studies Program, Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, Family Farm Defenders, Wisconsin Greens, Campus Greens USA, Midwest Environmental Advocates, The Progressive, Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger, Progressive Dane, Mining Impact Coalition, Anathoth Community Farm, Grandmothers for Peace Northland chapter, Gray Panthers, Wisconsin Community Fund, UW Greens, WCCN, Campaign to Respect Energy and the Environment, and others.. For schedule/speaker updates call toll-free (800) 445-8615, log on www.alphacdc.com/treaty/assembly.html e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] , or write Midwest Treaty Network, PO Box 14382, Madison WI 53714. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Citizens' Assembly 2001 <http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/assembly.html>http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/assembly.html Soon: <http://www.citizensassembly.net>http://www.citizensassembly.net Capitol rally April 2000 <http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/youth_edu.html>http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/youth_edu.html Crandon mine / Midwest Treaty Network <http://www.treatyland.com>http://www.treatyland.com Transmission line / Save Our Unique Lands (SOUL) <http://www.wakeupwisconsin.com>http://www.wakeupwisconsin.com Perrier / Save America's Water <http://www.friendsofthemecan.com/wow/index.html>http://www.friendsofthemecan.com/wow/index.html http://saveamericaswater.com +++++++++++++++++++++++ TENTATIVE AGENDA Subject to change <http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/assembly.html>http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/assembly.html [TBA: To Be Announced] CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY to unite opponents of corporate rule in Wisconsin and plan for democratic and sustainable alternatives MARCH 23-25, 2001 (Friday-Sunday) U.W.-Madison Humanities Building (Library Mall, University Ave. & Park St.) ***Conference base in Room 3650*** FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 7-10 pm 3650 Humanities Building Panel on Native American and non-Native rural struggles Mole Lake Drum opens 6:30 pm Crandon mine--Chuck Sleeter (Town of Nashville Chair) and Ken Fish (Menominee Treaty Rights and Mining Impacts Office) Transmission line--Linda Ceylor (Save Our Unique Lands) and Susan Aasen and Marilyn Tribble (Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa) Perrier--Chuck Hill (Town of New Haven Chair) and TBA (Ho-Chunk) Agribusiness--Jim Goodman (family farm activist) and Alfonso Zepeda-Capistran (LUChA--migrant farmworkers' advocate) ++++++++++++++++ SATURDAY, MARCH 24 ++++++++++++++++ 9-10:30 am 3650, 1101, 1121, 1131 Humanities Bldg. Workshops on corporate practices in Wisconsin (what the bad guys are doing) 1. Commodification of water--Chuck Hill (New Haven Chair) and TBA (Ho-Chunk), and other Perrier opponents. 2. Agribusiness--Karen Kinstetter (Kewaunee family farm activist) and TBA 3. Wisconsin economy and privatization of public services--Laura Dresser and others from Center on Wisconsin Strategies (COWS) 4. Repression of workers' rights--Amanda Dobron (United Students Against Sweatshops) and Pete Swinford (Milwaukee AFL-CIO field organizer). 10:30 am -12 noon 3650, 1101, 1121, 1131 Humanities Bldg. More workshops on corporate practices in Wisconsin 1. Corporatization of education--Brian LeCloux (Richland Center high school teacher), Marc Brakken (U.W.-Madison 180/Movement for Democracy and Education), Dana Churness (U.W.-Stevens Point Progressive Action Organization) 2. Biotechnology in agriculture and the health care industry--Jack Kloppenburg (U.W. Rural Sociology Department) 3. Corporate energy strategies--Tom Kreager (SOUL) and Al Baker Jr. and Susan Aasen (Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa), and RockGen power plant opponents 4. Mining plans in northern Wisconsin--Chuck Sleeter (Nashville Chair), Ken Fish (Menominee), Fran Van Zile (Mole Lake), Al Gedicks (Wisconsin Resources Protection Council). 1-2:30 pm 3650 Humanities Bldg. Panel on the role of the labor, student, and anti-racist movements in the movement for democracy Ed Garvey (Garvey and Stoddard) Jim Cavanaugh (South Central Federation AFL-CIO) Amanda Dobron (United Students Against Sweatshops) TBA (Milwaukee) 2:30-4 pm 3650, 1101, 1121, 1131 Humanities Bldg. Workshops on strategies and alternatives (what the good guys will do to the bad guys) 1. Legal strategies and tactics--Glenn Stoddard and Ed Garvey (Garvey & Stoddard) 2. Community health care--Linda and Gene Farley (Coalition for Wisconsin Health). 3. Grassroots organizing and activism--Sharing experiences of activists who organized the Wolf Watershed Educational Project against the Crandon mine, Save Our Unique Lands (SOUL) against the transmission line, and and community groups against Perrier. 4. Reforming state agencies (DNR, PSC, Public Intervenor)--Becky Katers (Clean Water Action Council), Roscoe Churchill (Rusk County Citizens Action Group), Linda Ceylor (Save Our Unique Lands). 4-5:30 pm 3650, 1101, 1121, 1131 Humanities Bldg. More workshops on strategies and alternatives 1. Treaty rights and sovereignty as community defense--Ken Fish (Director, Menominee Treaty Rights and Mining Impacts Office), Carol Brown (Lac du Flambeau Chippewa attorney, Brown & LaCounte) 2. Anti-corporate strategizing--David Cobb (Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, Texas) 3. A people's energy policy--Tom Kreager and Linda Ceylor (Save Our Unique Lands), David Blecker (Midwest Renewable Energy Association). 4. Countering the public relations industry--Laura Miller (Center on Media and Democracy) 5:30-6:30 3650 Humanities Plenary session 6:30-8:30 pm Dinner at Pres House Main Lounge (church tower across from clock on Library Mall) ++++++++++++++++ SUNDAY, MARCH 25 ++++++++++++++++ Not for media coverage 9-10:30 am 2221, 2231, 2241 Humanities Bldg. Training workshops on organizer skills (how the good guys will get the bad guys) 1. Media--Bob McChesney (UIUC journalism professor) and John Nichols (Capital Times) 2. Fundraising--Phil Kerckhoff (Wisconsin Community Fund) 3. Pulling together rallies/events/speaking tours--Zoltan Grossman (MTN) 10:30 am-12 noon 2221, 2231, 2241 Humanities Bldg. More training workshops on organizer skills 1. Cultural respect in working with Native communities TBA 2. Computer work-- Alice McCombs (EarthWINS) in College Library computer lab CONTACT: Midwest Treaty Network, P.O. Box 14382, Madison WI 53714 Web: <http://www.treatyland.com>http://www.treatyland.com E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Toll-free Hotline: (800) 445-8615 Tel./Fax: (608) 246-2256 ++++++++++++
