WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? On April 28th ROP is holding our annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session in Corvallis, Oregon. The tradition of the ROP Caucus began in the early 1990s. Each year ROP brings together delegations from the human dignity groups of rural Oregon for a day of strategizing, networking, and skill building. This year’s Caucus will feature sessions on strategizing the next steps for the Oregon peace and justice movement, workshops on building our people power and strengthening our local groups, and highlights and successes from the past year in rural and small town organizing.
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? In February, congressional districts across the state held district-wide Town Halls on the Cost of War. The people of these districts called their own Town Hall, both with and without representation from our Congresspeople, to give testimony on the local impact of the cost of war in Iraq and issued a People’s Resolution that calls for troop withdrawal, no more money for the war, no expansion into Iran, and coordination around the state to ensure that our Congressional Delegation act in accordance. Each Town Hall had standing room only attendance with district-wide representation and nearly every county in the state represented at the Town Halls. The Town Halls were an opportunity to demonstrate the collective power of the rural Oregon peace and justice movement.
While flexing our collective muscle is crucial to creating change, we also need to do it in a strategic way. All social change movements require both public moments of power and private, internal planning. On April 28th at the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session delegates from each Congressional District will come together as a state to consider our next steps.
Consider who from your group should attend this year’s Caucus and be a part of the collective discussion on these topics: What tactics make sense at this stage in the peace movement? What local justice issues is your group facing? How will we engage in the 2008 elections? What ways can our local groups map community power and best use our own people power to create change? In addition, join us for skill building workshops on topics such as Circle of Scribes: Getting our Message in the Media and Building Your Local Human Dignity Group.
STEPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY:
- Gather your leadership team, pull out your calendars, and mark the date of Saturday, April 28th.
- Decide who will be a part of your group’s team of 3-5 people to attend the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session
- Fill out the attached registration form and return it to ROP as soon as possible. (Registration forms that are turned in early help us eliminate administrative time and effort; please consider getting the form into ROP ASAP. And remember, early bird registration is by April 7th).
- See you in Corvallis on April 28th! Registrants will receive a confirmation packet that includes directions and details.