Will we see you at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session?

Dear friends of ROP,

For over 25 years, the annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session has been a space by and for rural organizers and community leaders to come together from across the state. We gather once a year to share stories and skills, build relationships and analysis, and advance plans to strengthen the movement for democracy and justice in rural and small town Oregon. This year we are gathering Saturday, June 3rd in Madras and we would love to have your county strongly represented!

Join us Saturday, June 3rd for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session and Sunday, June 4th for the Rural Organizing Institute! Click here to register online!

If you’ve never been to the Caucus, or if it’s been a few years since we’ve seen you, this is the year to join us! Over the past year, rural communities across the country have mobilized and organized for human dignity, democracy, and the safety of the most vulnerable in our communities. In 2017 we have strengthened our resolve and built incredible resistance. We’ve taken to the streets and filled town halls like our communities depend on it, because they do. Now is a critical moment for us to get together and strategize so we can build resilience for the long haul!

For decades, rural folks have kept temperatures low and their communities connected in the face of increasing polarization and scapegoating of our friends and neighbors. While certain national conversations blame our communities for our current political reality, we have an unbreakable resolve that together we can build beloved community through our rural traditions of deep relationship building, critical thinking, meeting each others’ needs, breaking bread together, and celebration.

Every Rural Caucus & Strategy Session offers space for rural and small town leaders to strategize on topics that reflect on our moment in time, the issues impacting rural and small town Oregon, and how to continue to build our long-term movement for justice and human dignity. A few highlights from this year’s Caucus include:

Stories, strategies, tools, and tactics from courageous and inspiring rural organizing across the state!

Inspiring and informative keynote speakers from Project South and Political Research Associates! Our speakers will share the ways our work here in Oregon connects to the national and global movement for justice and human dignity, share context about the national political landscape, and resources from impactful transformative organizing in communities around the country.

Strategies for community resilience and rapid response! Sharing models for different ways that communities can support their immigrant neighbors, resist deportations, respond to hate crimes, and keep each other safe amidst funding cuts to critical community infrastructure.

It’s good to be young in Oregon! Young rural organizers are doing incredible work and leading the way! Learn about their work and ways we can build an intergenerational movement in Oregon.

We invite you to join us, to learn from human dignity groups across the state, and to share about your own community work!

Register today! Early bird registration discount ends Monday, May 1st!

See you in Madras on June 3rd and 4th!

Warmly,
Grace, Cara, Jess, Hannah, and the ROP Team

Saturday, June 3rd – Rural Caucus & Strategy Session – the main event!

Rural Caucus & Strategy Session (8:30am-5:30pm): ROP’s annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will bring together leaders from across Oregon to share stories and skills, build relationships and analysis, and advance plans to strengthen the movement for democracy and justice in rural and small town Oregon. Workshops, strategy sessions, plenaries and lots of time to share local strategies with one another.

Sunday, June 4th — Rural Organizing Institute

Rural Organizing Institute (8:30am-1pm): Want to become a better organizer? Hungry to develop new skills and add to your organizer toolbox? Join us for a half-day training for leaders and organizers of all experience levels!