ROP’s top media stories of 2009!
Democratic Economy
Time magazine descended upon ROP’s home county, Columbia County, to cover immigrant migration as an affect of anti-immigrant measures like 5-190 & 5-191 that member group Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity led the local effort to defeat. While in town, Time attended the Procession for Respect and Dignity led by ROP member group Latinos Unidos Para un Futuro Mejor.
http://www.time.com/time/
As the food justice movement grows and the traditional economic models fail, ROP is connecting the enthusiasm for gardening and food with community and political action. This article features the community garden in ROP’s front yard and how we are bringing the Democratic Economy home.
http://www.spotlightnews.net/
Front page ROP article about the campaign to build a people’s economy in the Benton County barter and local goods/services newspaper, the Hour Trader.
ROP kicked off the Rural Media Center as part of our effort to win a pair of Tax Fairness ballot measures, which were part of our larger vision of creating a Democratic Economy. Here is just one of the letters, while this one is a little obvious, most of the letters were heartfelt pieces about the role of public wealth in building strong communities.
http://www.hoodrivernews.com/
The first of ROP’s Round table on a Democratic Economy kicked off in Crook County and found that the community was very interested in talking and strategizing and building a strong local people-centered economy.
http://www.centraloregonian.
Against Hate
From what seemed like out of the blue, a faction of the Aryan Nation based in Idaho declared their intention to buy property and set up a compound in Grant County, Oregon. ROP connected with newly emerging human rights leaders to offer our support in broadening the community response beyond the Aryan Nation to affirm Grant County as a community against all forms of hatred. This is the article of our Not In Our Town event in John Day.
http://www.bluemountaineagle.
Peace:
Member group, Alternatives 2 War has been holding a daily peace vigil on the Benton County Courthouse steps for 8 years. On the 8th anniversary of both the war and their vigil, reporters from around the country and the globe showed up at the Courthouse to mark their dedication and their passion for justice. (They were also covered by the Boston Globe, the Oregonian, the local newspapers and Al-Jazeera television)
The ROP Model
In the farthest Northeast corner of Oregon, ROP member group, Wallowa County Peace and Justice Network fight for social justice through slow, steady and approachable community building. They represent the ROP model of going to people where they are at in a community and focusing on the long term movement for justice.
http://www.lagrandeobserver.
Founder Marcy Westerling and member leader Mike Edera wrote the September 2009 cover article for In These Times magazine about the ROP model of county by county transformative organizing.
http://inthesetimes.com/
Oregon’s Rural Organizing Project: A profile in democratic local organizing. ROP was highlighted by one of the DailyKos diarists as building a more authentically grassroots movement.
http://www.dailykos.com/