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<b>From Tim Anderson...<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite cite>Invitation to the Valleywide
Spokescouncil<br>
July 5, 2006 7-9 PM, at the First Churches<br>
129 Main Street, Northampton<br>
</b><br>
The first meeting of the Valleywide Spokescouncil will occur July
5.<br>
This is not a new organization per se, but will be a growing group
of<br>
regularly gathering representatives of groups or organizations with a
goal<br>
of building critical mass to achieve goals those groups are working on
or<br>
care about. The intent is not to add work, but to make all of our
work more<br>
effective.<br>
<br>
In the initial informational meetings held in May and June, attendees
raised<br>
various issues that the Council might itself decide would qualify for
higher<br>
level action and building of critical mass -- e.g. Vermont
Yankee, ending<br>
the Iraq War, stopping Walmart, sustainable energy and curtailing
corporate<br>
power. The representatives who join the council will decide what issues
to<br>
build actions on. <br>
<br>
So if you are part of a group or organization of 20 or more people
in<br>
western Massachusetts and can serve as their spokesperson, you are
invited to join the Valleywide Spokescouncil.<br>
<br>
Our intention is to join forces with each other to generate critical
mass<br>
and take practical, effective action for a better community and
world. And<br>
to have fun in the process!<br>
<br>
We hope that our collective effort will help displace frustration, fear,
and<br>
malaise with a sense of community, responsibility, focus, and
effective,<br>
practical power. It's time.<br>
<br>
As a quick and easy way of defining our common ground, we ask those who
join this Council to be in general agreement with The Earth
Charter.<br>
<a href="http://www.earthcharter.org/">http://www.earthcharter.org</a>.
Its preamble states: "We stand at a critical<br>
moment in Earth©ös history, a time when humanity must choose its
future. Asthe world becomes increasingly interdependent and
fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. We
must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on
respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice and a
culture of peace."<br>
<br>
The Valleywide Spokescouncil leadership will be equally shared by
all<br>
present through consensus decision-making based roughly on Formal<br>
Consensus
<a href="http://www.consensus.net/ocaccontents.html">http://www.consensus.net/ocaccontents.html</a>.
The Valleywide<br>
Spokescouncil will meet monthly, with additional<br>
communications and gatherings as needed.<br>
<br>
The organizers of this process, Sandra, Sanford, Lois and Tim,<br>
will not attempt to achieve their personal or organizational preferences
for<br>
action while facilitating; we are assuming service roles, taking<br>
responsibility to call the circle, help facilitate meetings and keep
the<br>
process moving within the mission of the Valleywide Spokescouncil.<br>
<br>
The mass of people eventually represented by the Council will undertake
the<br>
most effective series of actions upon which it can agree. As
a process<br>
grounded in consensus we expect that people will come together with
diverse<br>
issues they care about, and will find common ground through sharing
and<br>
listening. We will not act until we have achieved the critical mass<br>
necessary for the greatest possible impact. We expect that these
actions<br>
will be diverse in nature, scale and scope.<br>
<br>
If this concept makes sense to you and you feel called to attend
this<br>
Council, please RSVP to
<a href="mailto:connect%40valleywidespokescouncil.net">connect@valleywidespokescouncil.net</a>
and join us. If you have questions, please see the FAQ at<br>
<a href="http://valleywidespokescouncil.net/">http://Valleywidespokescouncil.net</a> or call or email any of us.<br>
<br>
If you know of others who may meet the qualification of responsibly<br>
representing at least 20 others and should be invited, please invite them.<br>
<br>
With great respect and anticipation,<br>
<br>
Tim Anderson (781) 307-2142 timothymasonanderson[at]gmail.com<br>
Lois Barber (413) 549- 8118 lois[at]earthaction.org<br>
Sandra Boston (413) 774-5952 bostons[at]aol.com<br>
Sanford Lewis (413) 549-7333 gnproject[at]earthlink.net</blockquote><br>
<font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica" size=2><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica">"What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life?<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>The world would split open" ~ Muriel Rukeyser<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Garamond"><b>Jo Comerford<br>
</b>American Friends Service Committee, Western Massachusetts<br>
140 Pine Street, Room 10<br>
Florence, Massachusetts 01062<br>
413.584.8975 (W)<br>
413.584.8987 (F)<br>
413.695.6059 (C)<br>
afsc@crocker.com<br>
<a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/" eudora="autourl">www.WesternMassAFSC.org</a><br>
<br>
</font><font size=1><i>New Resource: <br>
</i><b>Ten Reasons Why the US Must Leave Iraq: <br>
</b></font><font size=1 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.pdf" eudora="autourl">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.pdf</a></u></font><font size=1> <br>
</font><font size=1 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.htm" eudora="autourl">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.htm</a></u></font><font size=1> (Text)<br>
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