[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
The other group named the Community Negotiating Team was formed at a community meeting. 80 community members attended this meeting; they elected the CNT to represent the community in Federal Mediation.WM: This is a hard thing to understand Zack. The original request was made by the Ministerial Alliance (MA). There appeared to be no follow-up on the part of the city. However, next thing we know, a mediator from D.C. has time available to do federal mediation. It seems to me that her appearance could indicate that something was done. Inquiries were made and the result was the appearance of a federal mediator. I would say that the MA was taken quite seriously.
But Zack, you have only described that the MA made the request, not that in making the request they had somehow established themselves as a legitimately elected community group.
This left the community with two legitimate groups of representatives. The ministerial Alliance is willing to merge with the CNT and become a mediation team that is respected and recognized by the community as a whole. The CNT however has declined to merge. This action by the CNT has mediation for the city of Minneapolis in serious jeopardy. The process is voluntary and the city may pull out at any time. The city has said that it is committed to assuring that the entire community respects and recognizes the community negotiating team. If they are not, mediation will not happen.WM: It would be important for me to know why the CNT declined. Looking from this distance, it looks as though, at the election meeting, members of the MA walked out for one reason or another, thereby not getting elected to the team. If I had been there and elected by the community, I would have declined as did the CNT. They walked away. I would love to be a member of the CNT, but I didn't have the time to devote to the issue when it emerged. However, I'd be kicking myself in the butt for having walked out had Idone what the MA did.
The merged team of representatives would be comprised of the African American, Somali, Latino/Hispanic, Asian, Native American, GLBT, African Immigrant, Community Service Organizations and Clergy. The total number of this team would be 18.
WM: Who comprises the team as the result of the election? That's the team.
My question is this, who thinks that the two mediation teams should merge and become one team that the Federal mediator recognizes as the communities negotiating team? Who supports such a merger?WM: Regardless of what groups or who I think would make the dream team, this is the team we get due to our own negligence or mistakes. I cannot override the election. Are you saying that the position of the MA is that unless they are seated they will work to make sure that the mediation does not happen or cannot be effective? That's pretty hard core. It also overrides the 75 other people who took the time to organize and be there and stay to vote their consciences. It makes the MA look really bad.
I trusted that those who turned out for the vote were those who had advocated long and hard for a change in the way poor communities of color and police deal with each other. This mediation is step one of many, many steps and will take at least a generation to inculcate. This mediation is an opportunity for police and community to actually listen to each other and to implement solutions which could improve peoples' lives. Is the MA willing to crush this hope simply because it's four members were not included?
Maybe I'm over-dramatizing here, but this is the feeling I get from what you have said here.
WizardMarks, Central
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_______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
