Movement History
This section contains historical documents from past campaigns and mobilizations, as well as pages with stories and resources from various campaigns I’ve been part of, including pages dedicated to Abbie Hoffman, Common Ground, and Camp Casey. You will find action agreements, direct action manuals, pictures, articles, reflections, and more; some organized by topic, some by mobilization, and some in multiple places where it makes sense. The ability to evolve is necessary to the work of any social movement, and this ability rests both in paying attention in the present and in knowing our history. Each generation has a chance to make things different, better, more just. But this has never happened without struggle. When engaged in struggle or conflict we face two...
Pledge of Resistance
In the 1980’s, the Central American Pledge of Resistance (POR) created a widespread coordinated horizontal movement that was successful in preventing an all-out U.S. war in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Using affinity groups, spokes councils, and local, regional, and national coordination structures, this movement we believe is especially apt for this political moment and can support and amplify the work that occupy is doing. This model has been used a number of times, including the Iraq Pledge of Resistance at the beginning of the Iraq War, the Beyond Talk Climate Pledge of Resistance, and the newly launched Keystone XL Pledge of Resistance. (You can check out one of the original Pledge of Resistance Manuals here – http://www.reclaimingquarterly.org/web/handbook/DA-Handbk-Pledge86-lo.pdf) You can...
Camp Casey and the Bring Them Home Now Tour...
Camp Casey was the name given to the encampment of anti-war protesters outside President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas during his five-week summer vacation there in 2005. It was founded by Cindy Sheehan after she failed to get a second meeting with President Bush for an explanation of the cause for which her son, Casey, died. Click here for the full Wikipedia article, complete with day-to-day timeline of what happened at Camp Casey Articles Cindy Sheehan’s Path to Prominence, a Fox News interview discussing the role of Lisa Fithian and others in organizing Camp Casey Texas Scold ‘Em, The Daily Show features Camp Casey Letter from Cindy Sheehan to Members of Congress, September 6, 2005 Pictures The Camp...
Labor Organizing: Fighting for Justice!...
Campaigns I have worked on include: AFL-CIO Organizers Institute – Teamsters Rhode Island Hospital Campaign HERE Local 25, Washington DC, 1993-94, won against the lock-out at the Madison Hotel Justice for Janitors, Washington DC 1994-95, on major street actions including bridge blockades ultimately lead to city-wide agreements for Local 82. Dignity Campaign, Detroit Michigan, Local 79, successful statewide strike and action campaign Detroit Newspaper Strike, the political leaders did not rise to the challenge, unsuccessful effort United Auto Workers – training and support for the RADD – Radical Action Disciple Deployment Teams, Region 1. Dignity Campaign, successful statewide strike in California 1997- 98 for Local 250 Justice for Janitors in LA and Boston – during several successful...
Abbie Hoffman Presente
In 1982 Abbie Hoffman spoke at my college. During his talk, I thought, I ought to be working with this guy. Not long after that he talked about a community organizing internship at Save the River that summer. I applied. He wrote me back with an A+ on my application. As the summer neared, I didn’t hear anything, so as I began to track it down. I talked to his brother Jack who told me it was not happening. I was graduating and didn’t have anything else to do, so I packed up my car and drove to the River. I spent a year there gardening, organizing and earning Abbie’s respect. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of...
Common Ground Relief 2005-2006
I had the honor of working with, creating, and building Common Ground Relief from early October 2005 through October 2006. During that time one had to hold both the horror and the awe of what was taking place in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. While much has been written, there will be more to come. The original Common Ground website went down and much of that material was lost. Here are a few of the public documents developed during that time. Click here to find out what Common Ground is doing today. Common Ground Relief Common Ground Slideshow – large file, allow time to load Reports & Articles Reports from New Orleans After Katrina, with Jordan Flaherty...