[Antiracism] Re: Organizing against immigration bill HR4437

[Marc Rodrigues]

Hey everyone,

this is marc from umass.  it's exciting to see folks around here
getting together to do something about HR4437.

i just wanted to mention a couple things and get people's feedback on this:

1) according to the email below, the next 5-college meeting to
organize something for may 1st is monday the 17th at 7:30... this also
happens to be the time for the opening event for Tent State which is
happening all next week: http://www.tentstateumass.org/Site/Home.html

I would encourage everybody in the area who is concerned with
immigrant justice come and check out tent state, we're gonna be having
several workshops/panels/discussions on the topic, and also will be
discussing what to do on may 1st... do we want to possibly reschedule
the 5-college meeting to sunday the 16th?


2) One possible action for My 1st that I would like to propose is to
have a lunchtime picket/press conference/flyering at a local
McDonald's.  The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a farmworker
organization of Mexican, Guatemalan and Haitian immigrants in Florida,
is currently conducting a national pressure/consciousness-raising
campaign against McDonald's to get them to pay more for the tomatoes
they use and help improve farmworker wages and working conditions.  I
think it's a good way to connect the issue of immigration with the
vital work immigrants do in this country and the message of the May
1st strike.  Please see the following sites for more info, and get
back to me with any feedback/questions:

http://www.ciw-online.org/
http://www.ciw-online.org/The_Great_March.html
http://www.ciw-online.org/2006truthtour/dailyupdates.html

thanks.

peace,
marc


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Sifra Quintana" <squintan at email.smith.edu>
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 20:46:54 -0400
Subject: Organizing against HR4437 (please foward to other groups)

Hi my name is Nico Quintana.  I was able to stay for the five college
planning meeting after the rally at Amherst today and was asked to
send out an update about the meeting and a call for action at smith
against HR4437.

Up date on the five college movement against HR4437.

The five college community wants to work together against this bill
and have a five college day of Action on May 1.  Each campus would be
responsible for organizing their own community and every Monday untill
may 1st organizers from each of the colleges will meet to talk about
May 1st.   The plan that was discussed at the meeting so far is that
each school would have there own rally, walk out, or what ever they
wanted to do at their own school and then all the colleges and schools
from the area would meet for a big rally at Amherst commons.  Times
are still being worked out.

Meetings
Five college Meetings
The five college coalition would like to have the next coalition
meeting at smith next Monday. Organizers from the five colleges and
the pioneer valley will be coming together to organize for the
national day of action on May 1st.

The meeting will be on Monday the 17th, 730pm Smith College (meeting
place still TBA, possibly down stairs in the campus center).  If
anyone has ideas for a meeting place let me know and I will email it
out, other wise I was thinking we could meet in the campus center on
lower level.

Smith Meeting
The first smith meeting is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday April 11th-
Gillett living room @ 12pm (the meeting can move if the space is too
small).  Every one please come cuz its going to be a hard few weeks
with out you.

Agenda
The smith students that went to the rally wanted to meet tomorrow to
discuss next steps for demonstrations/ education around this issue at
smith.  So far what was discussed:
1) A action for may 1st. Ideas that were disscussed were, shutting
down the collge, having a walk out, having a rally  on Chapin lawn
with poetry, music and chanting.

2)Education campaigns: Smith students that went to the rallies also
talked about handing out fliers and motivating people to write their
senators since senate is in recess for two weeks.

3) Faculty/ Staff  involvment : the Gov Department is going to be
holding an educational forum on the bill and its possible implications
in two weeks.

 Everyone who is interested in working for against this bill should
come and be involved with the organizing effort.  This meeting will be
facilitated by a volunteer that arrives at the meeting.  If you like
facilitating meetings please volunteer for the job.

MEETINGS COMMING UP: Please come and get involved.

Smith Meeting- Tomorrow April 11th 12pm Gillett living room, the
meeting most likely will move out side or to another location
depending on the size of the group.

Five college Meeting- Monday April 17th Smith College, Location TBA,
last resort down stairs Campus Center.

-Nico Quintana
squintan at smith.edu
x6909



---
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