WHY THIS ACTIVITY? When you’re busy paying bills, raising kids, and avoiding wildfires, the last thing you want is to add one more thing to your plate. It could be easy for you, or your neighbor, to miss your chance to cast your vote this November. That’s why across rural Oregon, we are starting conversations […]
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Emergent Strategies and Resources for our Rural Human Dignity Movement: Recap of the 35th Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
May 21, 2026 Dear ROPnet, The dust is starting to settle, but the energy of this year’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session lives on and will continue to ripple outwards from each of the more than 200 people who made the weekend so transformational. For those of you who were with us, thank you! We […]
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Rural Organizing Project Announces Settlement with Columbia County on Jail Policies and Sanctuary Law Compliance
ST. HELENS, Ore. — Rural Organizing Project (ROP) today announced a settlement agreement that updates jail policies to ensure compliance with Oregon Sanctuary Promise Act. The settlement establishes new or modified procedures for booking, release, and federal custody requests at the Columbia County Jail. “This agreement is a victory for community safety,” said Martha Ortega, […]
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Rural Organizing Project Files Lawsuit Against Oregon State Police for Sharing Oregonians’ Personal Data with ICE
OSP Allowed Federal Immigration Agencies to Access Oregon Data 1.4 Million Times Last Year SALEM, Ore.—Rural Organizing Project (ROP), a statewide nonprofit, filed a lawsuit in Multnomah County court to stop Oregon State Police from sharing Oregonians’ personal data with federal immigration agents. ROP says federal immigration agencies have exploited access to Oregonians’ information 1.4 […]
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4 Reasons Not to Miss the Caucus!
March 17, 2025 The 2026 Rural Caucus & Strategy Session is a little over a month away, and we are counting the days until we get to see you all on the weekend of April 24-26th in Florence, Oregon. The early bird registration deadline has been extended to Friday, March 27th, so check out some […]
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The United States is turning 250. Let’s talk about it.
March 2, 2026 Dear ROPnet, Oregon Humanities is hosting conversations in communities across the state as part of a project called Beyond 250. Read more below! As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches in 2026, Oregon Humanities is getting people together to talk about democracy, freedom, and what it means to be […]
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Making Home Depot Pay
February 13, 2026 Dear ROPnet, With the intense increase in ICE violence and kidnapping of our neighbors, we are seeing many businesses standing up in support and solidarity with their communities by displaying signs, taking trainings, and getting ready to support each other. But other businesses are choosing to intentionally support ICE instead. Whether adding cameras […]
Read MoreKTA: Register Your Group for the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session!
This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is to decide who will represent your group and your community at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on the weekend of April 24-26th in Florence! To kick off 2026, each KTA will be paired with monthly virtual office hours with ROP staff, where you can join other human dignity leaders and organizers […]
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Honoring Marcy Westerling’s Leadership
I became political because of stories. I stay political because of stories. – Marcy Westerling, ROP’s Founding Director January 22, 2026 Dear ROPnet, As we embark on our second year under rising authoritarianism, we have been reflecting on the origins of ROP and revisiting the visionary leadership of Marcy Westerling, ROP’s Founding Director. 2025 marked the 10-year […]
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Save the Date: Caucus 2026!
January 15, 2026 Dear ROPnet, It’s hard to believe we’re only 15 days into 2026, with all that’s happened. One thing that hasn’t changed: we’re going to need each other’s support and guidance to make it through this year. One place you’re sure to get enough of that to lift your spirit and fill your tank […]
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Our Stories Belong – Make Sure Your Community’s Stories Are Included!
Since drafting this KTA, immigration agencies have furthered their violent attacks on our communities. For our team’s statement on CBP’s shooting of two people in Portland, click here. This ROPnet is from Marika Straw, a ROP human dignity leader who is the Outreach Coordinator for Pride in Numbers and Board President for People Like Us in Wallowa County. January 12, 2026 Dear ROPnet, […]
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KTA: Get Your Leadership Team Ready for 2026
To kick off 2026, each KTA will be paired with monthly virtual office hours with ROP staff, where you can join other human dignity leaders and organizers from around the state to talk more about the topic, receive peer mentorWHYship, skill up, and strengthen your group! Register for January office hours here WHY THIS ACTIVITY? 2025 […]
Read MoreLessons Learned from a Hard Season of Detention Response
Rural Oregonians believe in looking out for our neighbors. ROP has been working towards rural communities that are safe and welcoming for all since our founding in 1992. This fall and winter, our safety has decreased dramatically as ICE scaled up and intensified its violent kidnapping of community members across the state. In the past few […]
Read More2025 Year in Review | Rural Organizing Project
It’s been a hard and scary year, but there’s also so much that’s worth celebrating. Human Dignity Groups across rural Oregon are combining small acts to form tidal waves of resistance. As a network, we are loudly defying the notion that rural communities will sit back and accept federal overreach and violence in our communities. […]
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“A Comprehensive Freaking Uproar”
We know that many of you have been closely following what’s been going on in Newport since early November, when we first learned of the threat of a new ICE prison. We wanted to share this latest update from Representative David Gomberg because it so powerfully shows the response, which has been a resounding “Hell […]
Read MoreKTA: Rejuvenate: Let’s Hold Our People Close
WHAT IS THIS ACTIVITY? This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is to make a plan with your group for how you are taking time to care for one another and for leaders and organizers in your community who need some extra love and support. To keep our movement strong and healthy for the long haul, we […]
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KTA: Protect Your Neighbors from ICE
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents have more than doubled detentions in the past few weeks, and their violent tactics against Oregonians are only getting more extreme. Meanwhile, the National Guard deployment to Portland is held up in the courts but could occur at any time. Amidst all of this violence against […]
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KTA: Oregon is home, not a military target
WHAT IS THIS ACTIVITY? Join thousands of Oregonians from every part of the state who are jumping into action to tell the Trump Administration: NO TROOPS IN OREGON. There are multiple ways to plug in this month, so keep reading! (P.S. We’re also thinking about how to use this federal abuse of power as a way […]
Read MoreKTA: Join us for a Meeting the Moment Conversation with Hardy Merriman
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? Do you feel like there’s so much being thrown at you that it’s the most you can do to respond to whatever feels most urgent in the moment? If so, you’re not alone! In this moment of attacks on basic rights and the foundations of our democracy, it’s all too easy to […]
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Fighting for the Future We Believe In, One Festival at a Time
In its 8th year, the Hood River Latino Festival has become a beloved essential cultural landmark in our community. It serves as a vibrant platform for honoring and celebrating the rich tapestry of Latino culture while providing vital resources to our community members. YOU ARE INVITED TO THE HOOD RIVER LATINO FEST! This festival doesn’t […]
Read MoreGrowing our Noncooperation Toolkit
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? In the spirit of resisting through Disrupting and Disobeying, rural human dignity leaders across Oregon have been showing up on the streets consistently these last few months. These actions help remind us that we aren’t alone; that our neighbors and millions of others are in this with us. They break through fear and isolation, […]
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Building Community and Demanding Safety for all in the Gorge
Dear ROPnet, Autumn was beginning to freeze into Winter; Trump was newly elected. The urge to retreat inside was palpable, surrounded by the cold weather and political nihilism. But members of Hood River Latino Network (HRLN) resisted the feeling to hide. “We can’t disconnect. We have to stay connected, because one of our biggest sources […]
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Redefining Rural
As I grew to understand the broader historical context of my area, the pieces of the puzzle came together. I began to understand where I fit in.” Dear ROPnet, Charlie Bloomer, a high school senior from Sandy, uses their voice and talent to shift dominant narratives in and about rural Oregon, build community power, and […]
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Celebrating One Year of the Immigrant Help Center!
“The center exists to serve our community. We are guided by and grounded in a deep commitment to advancing social justice, immigrant rights, and empowering rural Latino communities!” Dear ROPnet, A little over a year ago, the Hood River Latino Network and ROP partnered together to make a bold, ambitious, and what felt like a […]
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What’s your summer events plan?
Dear ROPnet, Whether you’re celebrating Pride, hosting a table at the county fair, or protesting the violence and devastation that ICE is wreaking in our communities, there are countless reasons to host events this summer. Before we know it, the days will be getting colder and shorter again, and as we look back on this […]
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The Co$t of Endless War for Rural Oregonians
Dear ROPnet, How are you doing? We are reaching out to you all to connect, take a collective deep breath together, and lean into the strength of the incredible ROP network in this moment. We’ve been making sure to slow down and check in with each other, too. Here are some clips of Emma and Hannah’s […]
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Welcome to the Team, Leland!
Dear ROPnet, We are so excited to introduce the newest member of the ROP staff team: Leland Moon! If you were at this year’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session in Baker City, you may have had a chance to meet Leland, who was frequently holding down registration and the merch table. Maybe you were one of the lucky […]
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KTA: Power Building through Potlucks, Phone Trees, and Mutual Aid
Why this Activity? Rural Oregonians innately understand the necessity of neighbors helping neighbors. The devastating budget bill that just passed the House is a continuation of what we saw from Trump’s first 100 days: systematically slashing funds and eliminating services that our communities rely on to pad the pockets of billionaires. Now is a moment we […]
Read MoreKTA: Elections Don’t Mean Handing Over Our Power
While students are wrapping up the school year, there’s another group in each of our communities that is about to experience their first day and embark on a steep learning curve. The winners of the May special district elections are taking office, some of them for the first time, and they are about to be making […]
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Meet Your 2025 Human Dignity Award Winners!
Dear ROPnet, We’re still overflowing with gratitude for how incredible this year’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session was. If you missed our latest update with the full agenda and highlights from the Caucus, you can check it out here! We promised in that first update that we’d be sharing even more highlights, including this one. Read […]
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Rural Resilience and Karaoke: 2025 Caucus Reportback
Dear ROPnet, What a joy! Amid so much fear and uncertainty, we sang Karaoke, shared poetry, and our talents together! We built new regional configurations for staying connected and moving together. We danced in the aisles. We talked about all the ways that, as a network, we are already resisting fascism and organizing to build […]
Read MoreKTA: In the Time of the Right: Reflections on Liberation – Book Club!
Why this Activity? As we hesitantly check the news and social media each day, we are bombarded with an onslaught of attacks on democracy and human rights. Many of us are grappling with how to talk to our neighbors and have critical conversations about defending our democracy. Book clubs are an opportunity to connect with others […]
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Welcome to the Team, Stephanie!
Dear ROPnet, We are so excited to introduce the newest member to the ROP staff team: Stephanie Hunter! We are living in unprecedented times and rural community leaders are taking action right now at greater and greater scales. Our list of member groups has grown 40% in the last 5 years and rural folks across the state feel […]
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Recap and What’s Next: Defend Civic Institutions
Dear ROPnet, March’s Meeting the Moment gatherings helped us feel connected to a larger pro-democracy movement. Over 70 of you joined us to build our strategy, skills, and analysis to Defend Civic Institutions in the coming months. Read on for a recap of that Zoom call and for some updates about ROP’s virtual office hours. Recap: March […]
Read More4 Reasons Not to Miss the Caucus!
Dear ROPnet, The 2025 Rural Caucus & Strategy Session is one month away, and we are counting the days until we get to see you all on the weekend of April 26th in Baker City. The early bird registration deadline has been extended to tomorrow, Friday, March 28th, so check out some of what the Caucus […]
Read MoreKTA: Local Action with Federal Impact
Why this Activity? Every single county commission, county court, city council, and school board will be impacted by the federal power grab that’s cutting funds, firing workers, and giving billionaires tax breaks on the backs of working people. It’s so easy to feel small right now against the backdrop of the massive-scale federal attacks on […]
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Rural Oregon Joins Mass Mobilization on 4/5
Dear ROPnet, On April 5th, rural Oregonians are taking to the streets, joining over 1,000 coordinated Hands Off protests on this national day of action. Human dignity leaders across the state are planning and participating in this mass mobilization to tell the Trump-Musk regime that we will not watch quietly while they take anything they can get […]
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Meet the 2025 Board Slate
Dear ROPnet, Less than three months into the year and we have already lived through historic federal power grabs and incredible upheaval. We have also seen powerful organizing to resist these injustices. Human Dignity Groups are building community, protecting people, disobeying immoral decrees, and creating a more just world right at home. There’s so much […]
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Have a say in Oregon’s State Budget!
Dear ROPnet, A democracy by for and of the people requires participation throughout the year. Actions from the White House are enriching billionaires by creating chaos, job losses, higher prices, and economic instability for everyday people. Here in Oregon, we can call on our state legislators to do what they can to protect Oregonians and […]
Read MoreVictory in Coos County & Urgent Action in Curry County
Organizing Office Hours IIIMonday, March 24th from 6-7:30 PM PSTAn opportunity to drop in and talk with ROP staff and other organizers around the state to work out particular sticking points in your work. Bring a question or just come connect with other rural organizers! It will be informal and largely unstructured. Dear ROPnet, Rural […]
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Safeguarding Oregon Schools: A Toolkit
Thanks to a kick ass host team for the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session we are able to extend the early bird deadline to March 28th. Registering early helps us have an early head count for meals, chairs, printed materials, and more! This year’s caucus is April 25-27 in Baker County (Friday night through Sunday […]
Read MoreKTA: Pro-Democracy State Legislators Need Your Support
Government with Backbone: ROP’s 2025 State Legislative Platform WHY THIS ACTIVITY? Oregon, like most states, is facing a severe revenue crisis with the federal government threatening to cut social service funding (about 31% of Oregon’s state budget comes from the federal government). States are suffering from the impact of the administrative coup we find ourselves in that puts […]
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Fighting Authoritarianism Beyond Left vs. Right
Dear ROPnet, The majority of rural Oregonians believe in the equal worth of all communities and the right to safe housing, healthy food, and access to good healthcare and education regardless of who you voted for. Especially in moments of crisis, we see how our communities continue to come together across political lines. Yet rural […]
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KTA: Register Your Group for the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session!
What is the Activity? For over 30 years, rural organizers and community leaders from across the state have come together for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session to reflect on the last year and plan for the year to come. Join us to share what you and your group have been working on, connect with […]
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Recap and What’s Next: Disrupt and Disobey
Dear ROPnet, February’s Meeting the Moment gathering helped us feel grounded and inspired. Over 60 of you joined us to build our strategy, skills, and analysis to Disrupt and Disobey in the coming months. Read on for a recap of that Zoom call, as well as what to expect from our upcoming Zoom “office hours” on […]
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We Have More Power Than You Think
Dear ROPnet, You’re not alone if you’re looking around and feeling powerless or at a loss right now. As we’re experiencing an onslaught of attacks on our fundamental freedoms, we wanted to share this reminder from our dear friend Scot Nakagawa that we often have more power than we realize. Today, on the anniversary of […]
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Recap and What’s Next: Protecting People
Dear ROPnet, We’re feeling empowered and connected after last Monday’s “Meeting the Moment” virtual gathering. Over 70 of you joined us to build our strategy, skills, and analysis to Protect People in the coming months. Read on for a recap of that Zoom call, as well as what to expect from our upcoming Zoom “office hours” […]
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One Step Against Fascism: Organizing to Protect and Defend Our Libraries
Dear ROPnet, You might remember Suzanne Pharr from when she joined one of our recent “Meeting the Moment” virtual gatherings. Suzanne is a long-time organizer and nationally renowned strategic movement thinker from the South who lived in Oregon for several years in the 90s and helped start ROP! Suzanne recently shared this piece with us about one […]
Read MoreSave the Date: Caucus 2025!
Dear ROPnet, In 2050, how will we remember this year? 2025: the year Trump took office for the second time. Or will it be 2025: the year that rural human dignity leaders started (or ramped up) pivotal campaigns that led to the thriving, just democracy we enjoy in the second half of the 21st century? […]
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KTA: Protect Immigrants from Federal Immigration Enforcement
What is the Activity? This month’s Kitchen Table Activism is for Human Dignity Groups and community members to meet with local law enforcement to discuss how they are going to comply with the Sanctuary Promise Act (SPA). Trump has threatened mass deportations from day one of his new administration (January 20th, 2025). Oregon has the strongest […]
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A Year of Powerful Organizing!
Dear ROPnet, As we wrap up 2024 and reflect on all that we accomplished together as the 91 Human Dignity Groups that make up ROP, we want to highlight some inspiring victories of rural Oregonians. The 2024 Annual Report is now on our website here, and you can also read the full report below. We are […]
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Lifting Up Rural Voices Across the State
Dear ROPnet, For our democracy to thrive, we need well-informed people who participate in the democratic process. Strong community media is crucial to keeping the people of Oregon informed about what is happening locally, statewide, and nationally. With the closure of countless rural newspapers and radio stations, the consolidation of media groups that out-of-state corporations […]
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ROP Gatherings: Preparing for Inauguration and the First 100 Days
Dear ROPnet, Since the election, rural Oregonians have been linking up across the state in our Meeting the Moment Zoom Gatherings to develop shared analysis, build joint strategies, and deepen our relationships and connections across the ROP network. ROP is bigger and stronger than ever, and we know we’re going to need each other in the months and years […]
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Together, we are strategic, bold, and responsive
As 2024 comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on what ordinary rural people can accomplish when we organize together. We shared some of the key victories made possible by Human Dignity Groups organizing for democracy and justice across rural Oregon in our annual report. Keep an eye on your mailbox for your annual report […]
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We’re Hiring Organizers
As 2024 comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on what ordinary rural people can accomplish when we join together and organize. We shared some of the key victories made possible by human dignity groups organizing for democracy and justice across rural Oregon in our annual report. Keep an eye on your mailbox for your […]
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Salmon Return After Dam Removal
As 2024 comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on what ordinary rural people can accomplish when we join together and organize. We shared some of the key victories made possible by human dignity groups organizing for democracy and justice across rural Oregon in our annual report.Keep an eye on your mailbox for your annual […]
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Día de los Muertos
November 26, 2024 Dear ROPnet, As we witnessed across the entire state this summer, rural Oregonians showed up together to celebrate joy and justice. Summer might be over, but community building through local events carries on! While putting their Halloween costumes away, casting their ballots, and turning their clocks back, Hood River Latino Network (HRLN) also […]
Read MoreElection to Inauguration: Getting Ready Together
Dear ROPnet, Last Thursday, ROP hosted our largest virtual meeting ever! 140 people joined our post-election gathering: Meeting the Moment. We are linking up across county lines as a way to refuse the tools of authoritarianism: isolation, fear, and despair. It doesn’t mean we don’t feel those things, but when we do, we reach out […]
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KTA: Neighbors Not Enemies
Why This Activity? I just got back from a few days on the road visiting with human dignity leaders in Polk, Yamhill, and Marion counties. Something that one local leader said has stuck with me: that after this election is over, no matter the results, “We’re going to have to re-establish that we aren’t enemies.” – […]
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Countering Election Fraud Lies in Coos County
Dear ROPnet, As the election nears, we are seeing a coordinated attempt in communities around the state to spread misinformation and create distrust in county election processes. This disruption is part of a wider strategy of the far right. By bringing into question the entire system by which we elect people to govern us, they are […]
Read MoreMeeting the Moment: Join us for a Post-Election Gathering!
Dear ROPnet, Welp…here we go. Ballots dropped this week, and somehow, seeing them hit mailboxes makes what we’re facing in the coming weeks even more real. Are you feeling the fear and anxiety stirred up by this moment in our political history? We know we are. Alongside the fear, there has also been so much […]
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18 Counties Weigh in on Defending Democracy in Rural Oregon
Dear ROPnet, ROP is led by rural Oregonians who volunteer their time to advance democracy in their communities. Over the last year, we have hosted 12 defend democracy Living Room Conversations (LRCs) with participants representing at least 18 counties to begin setting our direction for the next 30 years of ROP. More information about LRCs below. Eliot Feenstra, […]
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A Season of Staff Transitions for ROP
Dear ROP friends and community, What has always been true about ROP is that our leadership comes from the ground up. That includes the leaders of our 90+ Human Dignity Groups who are local community members seeking to create change in their communities. That includes our Board of Directors–representatives of Human Dignity Groups from around the state–and all of our ROP Directors […]
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The Web STAND Election Guide is Here!
October 4, 2024 Dear ROPnet, In case you missed our video the other day, we have exciting news! The 2024 STAND (Small Town Actions for a New Democracy) Election Guides are here! You likely already received a guide in the mail but it’s also available online! Visit our website for more information about the 2024 STAND Election […]
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KTA: Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence
Why This Activity? The vast majority of people believe that political violence is never okay. As threats, intimidation, and harassment increase, it’s important to remember that political violence is not new. From the people who marched in Selma for dignity and civil rights, to small-town neighbors declaring “Love Lives Here!” to stop hate groups from […]
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A Summer of Joy and Justice
Dear ROPnet, Across the state, rural organizers centered joy and community building in their organizing this summer. Communities gathered together in parks, community centers, church basements, and living rooms to build relationships, break bread, strategize, and have some good ‘ol-fashioned fun! We were reminded of the importance of sharing these stories and images in a […]
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Who’s to Blame for the Fires?
Are you interested in joining ROP’s volunteer strategic communications cohort? We will connect you with mentorship in strategic communications and a cohort of peers from across the state! Teams focused on radio, newspaper, and social media will create content in English and Spanish. Email emma@rop.org to get involved in our new Rural Roots Rising Communications Cohort! Dear ROPnet, […]
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Oregon Remembrance Project Seeks Reconciliation and Connection
This ROPnet was written by Charlie Bloomer. Charlie is a high school student from Sandy who’s writing ROPnets with us this summer. Are you interested in joining ROP’s volunteer communications team as well? Email emma@rop.org if you have a few hours and want to pitch in! Now on with Charlie’s ROPnet… Dear ROPnet, When Oregon Remembrance Project (ORP) founder Taylor […]
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KTA: Crafting a Guaranteed Income for Oregon
Why This Activity? For democracy to work, everyone in our communities must have a basic standard of living. Today, Oregon has both more millionaires and more people struggling with food and housing insecurity than ever before. Our partners at Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP) and Urban League of Portland are investigating one way to […]
Read MoreKTA: STAND Election Guides are Here!
Small Town Actions for a New Democracy: It’s Local Elections Time! Why This Activity? This election is about so much more than two presidential candidates–it’s about choosing between a vision being put forward that attacks our basic freedoms or a vision where we build towards an inclusive democracy with human dignity for all. What an opportunity for […]
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“Inclusivity” Used to Weaken Josephine County Schools
Dear ROPnet, In Josephine County, human dignity organizers have been dealing with school board members who hide under a veil of supporting inclusion while really trying to put bubble gum in the gears. Since democracy requires well-informed community members who participate in the democratic process, we want to take some time to unpack the sneaky […]
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Bring Home a Rural Queer Open Mic!
Dear ROPnet, We’ve been hearing about so many human dignity groups eager to spread joy, build community and have some good wholesome fun this summer. When the national reporting on Trump and the Supreme Court are pushing so many people to fret about the future or feel like giving up, our role is to build […]
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Postal Service Victory!
This ROPnet was written by Charlie Bloomer. You probably haven’t heard Charlie’s name before! Charlie is a high school student from Sandy who’s writing ROPnets with us this summer. Are you interested in joining ROP’s communications team as well? We are looking for folks to create content across multiple platforms in the coming months! Do you love […]
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How to Stop a Coup
Dear ROPnet, We are edging closer to a November election that many worry could lead the US even further away from the multiracial democracy we are all working to build. This ROPnet shares an inspiring report from the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA). NISGUA works to build and strengthen ties between […]
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Statewide Transportation Tour: Coming to a town near you!
Dear ROPnet, Public transportation is a key part of a well-functioning and interconnected community! Yet so many of our towns don’t have what we need for people to get from place to place in a timely, affordable, and safe way (for people and the planet!). Oregon legislators are developing a transportation package for the 2025 […]
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The Co$t of War in Palestine on Rural Oregon: Caucus Next Moves
Dear ROPnet, On April 6th at the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, leaders from across the state gathered in a breakout session called “Global to Local: Honing in on War, Peace, and Climate Change.” We focused on how global challenges, from climate change to militarized borders and endless wars abroad, deeply affect small towns and rural […]
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KTA: Election Planning: What We Know (and What We Don’t)
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? We knew the stakes were high this election, and the news from the last few weeks has confirmed that. In Oregon, at least 66 members of People’s Rights, a far-right paramilitary group, coordinated to run for office this May. Nationally, we’ve got a former president and current presidential candidate convicted of 34 felony counts […]
Read MoreParamilitary Attempts to Sow Distrust in Deschutes County Election
Dear ROPnet, On the morning of election day, May 21st, ROP got a message from a local human dignity leader that People’s Rights, a paramilitary organization founded by the Bundy family, was planning a rally at the Deschutes County Clerk’s office. We were immediately concerned that they would attempt to intimidate, harass, or even block voters from participating […]
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Immigrant Help Center Grand Opening on June 15th
Dear ROPnet, For over seven years, the Hood River Latino Network, a Rural Organizing Project member group, has worked to create and organize events to connect the Latino community in the Gorge and advocate for more representation. In early 2024, ROP and Hood River Latino Network partnered to open ROP’s newest field office, the Hood River Latino Network Immigrant […]
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Standing Room Only! Candidate Forum for Crook County Commission
Dear ROPnet, Our democracy requires that the public is well-informed and participates in the democratic process. Right now, as the votes from Oregon’s May primaries are getting tallied, many of us are reflecting on what went well and what we can do better leading up to the November election to fulfill that important aspect of […]
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“Nothing has rocked the city like this”
Dear ROPnet, “I’ve worked for the city for over seven years. I’ve worked for dispatch; for the police department; I’ve seen a lot of changes but nothing has rocked the city like this.” Savannah Lovell, former John Day city employee ROP works to build a shared standard of human dignity, including the belief in the equal worth […]
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KTA: ROP Digital Exhibit is Here!
Bridging Divides, Defending Dignity: Digital Exhibit Now Live! Why this Activity? We are winning in our struggle in so many different ways. Earlier this year we won our lawsuit against the City of Cottage Grove for breaking the law by illegally collaborating with multi-billion dollar federal immigration agencies! College students and community members alike are saying loud […]
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International Workers’ Day on May 1st
Dear ROPnet, For over 100 years, International Workers’ Day (sometimes referred to as May Day) has commemorated the struggles and equally important, the victories of workers and the labor movement. It’s an opportunity to show our support and admiration for all the hardworking people who drive our vibrant economy. It’s also an opportunity to organize […]
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What We’re Taking Away from the Caucus
Dear ROPnet, Our cups are full to the brim with love and admiration for all of the groups and individuals who make up ROP and who made ROP’s 33rd annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session so incredible. About 150 of you joined us for this year’s caucus on Saturday, April 6th, and since then we’ve been basking in the […]
Read MoreKTA: Register to Vote Before the Primaries!
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? We know that this election season, our freedoms are on the line, including the freedom to decide when and how you have children, to live your gender and love whom you want, and to have a safe and affordable place to call home and be able to put healthy food and clean […]
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Support Winchester Dam Removal!
Dear ROPnet, In the years since we first made the Roadmap to a Thriving Rural Oregon together, leaders around the state have continued to demand clean water for all, knowing that healthy people make healthy communities. Today we want to share an update and an opportunity to support the campaign to remove the Winchester Dam by Community Rights […]
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It Takes a Village to Raise a Caucus
Dear ROPnet, This year’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session is just two weeks away, and registration is already full! Over 130 rural Oregonians have registered for the Caucus, showing just how eager folks are to get in a room with one another and strategize together for the year to come. There’s still much to do to […]
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No walkout?! What happened in Salem this Session?
Dear ROPnet, The 2024 Oregon legislative session wrapped up earlier this month. We’re celebrating some significant victories and also recognizing the bills that didn’t pass that will need to be prioritized next session. The end of a legislative session is a great opportunity to check whether your representatives are actually representing YOU. Did your representative and […]
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Level Up Your Strategic Communications Skills!
Have you noticed that our ROPnets often start with values or a positive vision for our communities? Do you ever scroll past email alerts and mass texts telling you for the 15th time today that the world is falling apart? In just four weeks, the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session is happening in Woodburn (Saturday, […]
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Welcome to the team, Martha!
This year’s Caucus will be on Saturday, April 6th in Woodburn, and it’s going to be one for the books. Make sure to register your group by Friday to help ROP organizers get an accurate head count for chairs, meals, childcare, interpretation and housing. Have questions? Email Sidra at sidra@rop.org. We are so excited to […]
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Support the Columbia Gorge Resolution Center!
As a result of decades of underinvestment from the state and our local governments, Oregon is currently ranked 50th in the country for providing mental and behavioral health services. We know that a reasonable standard of living is a core component of a strong democracy and that housing and mental health resources are vital for […]
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Save Our Post Offices 2024
Dear ROPnet, Post offices are a vital part of vibrant rural communities. Unfortunately, a big change is coming to 180 Oregon rural post offices and the USPS doesn’t plan to tell anyone about it. Like we did a decade ago, rural Oregon can have a big impact on post office policy if we make our […]
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Second Civics Training Makes Waves
Dear ROPnet, Following the lead of Linn-Benton NAACP’s event in 2022, Bandon Inclusivity Group (BIG) hosted Protecting Democracy: A Civics Workshop, on Sunday, January 21. They, like many other groups across the state, have seen an erosion of trust in local government and in democracy itself. So they decided to bring community members together to learn […]
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Youth Speak Out for Libraries
“If we aren’t making ourselves be heard, others can use our silence to invent false and harmful narratives about us. We are the youth who are going to inherit this world.” – Will Jaster In recent years Oregon has made real improvements to our school curriculum standards and to the range of resources that our […]
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Register Your Group for the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session!
This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is to decide who will represent your group and your community at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on Saturday, April 6th in Woodburn! What is the activity? For over 30 years, rural organizers and community leaders from across the state have come together for the Rural Caucus & Strategy […]
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Groups Kicked Off 2024 with Statewide Action!
Dear ROPnet, Last month, rural Oregonians in every corner of the state showed that democracy is not a spectator sport and got in the thick of the action to advance democracy in their communities! Here are a few highlights from January, including Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations, Women’s Marches, civics education workshops, and peace […]
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Join us in Woodburn on April 6th!
In a moment when many rural and small-town communities across the state are recovering from historic blizzards and ice storms, we are looking forward to strategizing together about how everyday Oregonians can organize stronger, more resilient communities during and after crises. The annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session is coming up on Saturday, April 6th, and […]
Read MoreLawsuit Victory is a Win for Rural Oregon
We are thrilled to share the exciting news that we won our lawsuit against the City of Cottage Grove for breaking the law by illegally collaborating with multi-billion dollar federal immigration agencies! ROP and Community Alliance for Lane County filed the lawsuit last year after years of community organizing to pressure the City of Cottage […]
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Rural Actions for Peace in Gaza
Over the past few months, rural Oregonians and people of all backgrounds have been organizing in solidarity with Palestinians and Israelis impacted by the terrible violence in Israel and Palestine. This work, rooted in the belief that everyone has a right to safety and self-determination, builds on more than three decades of human dignity organizing. […]
Read MoreKTA: Prepare for the Legislative Session!
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? For Oregon’s democracy to thrive, rural Oregonians must have a seat at the table in state government! Every even calendar year, including 2024, Oregon has a “short session” that lasts just 35 days. Oregon’s next legislative session starts on February 5th, and our elected officials will be making critical decisions and passing […]
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The power to create positive, lasting change
The power to create positive, lasting change lies within rural communities! As we reflect back on 2023, a few things remain constant: • Human dignity groups in every county are the heart and soul of ROP • Our model succeeds because our priorities come from rural communities • We couldn’t do this work without YOU […]
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We Believe in a Greater Oregon
Dear ROPnet, As Oregonians, we know that we are stronger when we work together. Everyone deserves a seat at the table for solving the big challenges our communities and our state face! We wanted to share a powerful example with this story of how a small group of dedicated volunteers in Malheur County is organizing […]
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KTA: Celebrate 75 Years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights!
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? Human dignity groups are a moral compass for the community in these challenging times and being a person of conscience can often feel like a difficult and thankless job. Bestowing a Human Rights Award to a local community leader is a great way to recognize their hard work, build relationships, and advance the […]
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Democracy At Work: November Election Results
Dear ROPnet, While Oregon didn’t vote this November, most states did. A functional democracy requires a well-educated public that participates in the democratic process, so the turnout and results from last month are good news for those of us organizing to advance democracy and human dignity! Below we’ve included a few of the highlights we’ve […]
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Keep an eye on your mailbox!
Dear ROPnet, As 2023 comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on what ordinary rural people can accomplish when we join together and organize. We shared some of the key victories made possible by human dignity groups organizing for democracy and justice across rural Oregon in our annual report. We’ve included a sneak peek below – […]
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Misinformation and Queer Inclusion Messaging Resources
Dear ROPnet, Last week we held our third and final session of our fall communications series, On Message, with Meaning, focused on leveling up our communications in time for 2024. Read on for highlights from the session, which focused on managing misinformation and advancing queer inclusion. If you’re hungry for more opportunities for skill-building and strategizing with […]
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KTA: Sheriffs Must Follow Sanctuary Law
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? A University of Washington report determined that the majority of Oregon sheriff’s departments have immigration policies that violate the Sanctuary Promise Act (SPA). Rural Oregonians have organized for decades to build safe and welcoming communities for all, and we won a huge victory in 2021 by passing the SPA. The new law expands Oregon’s Sanctuary […]
Read MoreUnions, Strikes and Workers
Dear ROPnet, A basic standard of living is critical to a thriving democracy. After years of deregulation and tax breaks for the wealthy, inequality is at a record high. In response, workers are organizing and harnessing the power of unions to win improved conditions on the job and in their communities. Many unions have been winning! Sheet Metal […]
Read MoreOn Message with Meaning: Highlights and Next Up
Dear ROPnet, Last week we held our second of three virtual trainings to gear up for the 2024 election by building concrete skills while discussing critical issues. You can still join us for Managing Misinformation, Advancing Queer Inclusion on Monday, November 6th from 6:30 – 8 pm PST. Read on for details about the upcoming interactive training that will […]
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Protecting Our Victories for Treatment Over Criminalization
Dear ROPnet, In 2020, human dignity leaders across the state helped pass Measure 110 to establish a statewide drug addiction treatment and recovery program funded by the state’s marijuana tax revenue and to decriminalize possession of certain drugs. Thanks to thousands of conversations with neighbors through phone calls, texts, and community events, Oregonians voted yes […]
Read MoreSafety for Palestinians and Israelis
Dear ROPnet, Our hearts have been heavy the past two weeks as images and reports of awful violence in Israel and Palestine flood our screens. In the swirl of reactive messaging and confusing and often conflicting information, we return to what we know: everyone has the right to safety and human dignity. To ROP, a […]
Read MoreMessaging Deep Dive: Highlights and Next Up
We have created a Facebook page called Proyecto de Organización Rural that is specific to the Guatemalan community in Oregon that speaks Todo Santos Mam. Mam is not a written language and there are not a lot of resources or organizations that offer information in Mam. At the same time, this community is one of […]
Read MoreSave the Date: Caucus 2024!
Dear ROPnet, We’re counting the days until we’ll all be together again at the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session. Literally, counting: it’s in 172 days! Mark your calendars for the 2024 Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, which will be on Saturday, April 6th in Woodburn in Marion County! For 30 years, small-town and rural organizers, activists, […]
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Oregonians Demand Healthy Watersheds
Dear ROPnet, Rural Oregonians are deeply connected, despite the miles between us. The many human dignity leaders across the state who are organizing campaigns to protect their watersheds feel this deeply, especially when decisions by powerful upstream actors directly affect livelihoods downstream. An article by OPB last month described how federal lawmakers are considering the struggles […]
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KTA: Up Your Communications Game!
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects or groups […]
Read MoreOn Message with Meaning: Communications Deep Dive
Dear ROPnet, Rural Oregon needs a seat at every table where decisions are being made about us. Social distancing and divisive, anti-democratic rhetoric have made it harder to approach conversations with our neighbors about the issues that matter most. We know this will only get harder as election-time rhetoric ramps up. To meet this moment, […]
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Housing Justice in Bend and Cottage Grove
Dear ROPnet, Oregon has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country, and our state has experienced a huge increase since the start of the pandemic. With hot summer temperatures spiking, not to mention the smoke rolling off wildfires and into communities, having stable housing is more important than ever. Organizers across rural Oregon know […]
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Wins for Democracy in Oregon and Beyond!
Dear ROPnet, August has been a good month for democracy, both here in Oregon and across the country! We know that part of being able to stay in the movement for the long haul is taking time to celebrate victories: recognizing and naming successes helps us learn from them, not to mention have some fun and remind […]
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KTA: Democracy Education for All
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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Maui Strong
Dear ROPnet, With wildfires raging across Oregon, we know how important it is in times of disaster for neighbors to show up for neighbors and for communities not directly impacted to spread the word and show up in support however we can. That’s why today we wanted to share with you a call for support […]
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Radio by and for the People
For generations, rural Oregonians have relied on community media to break isolation, share information about community happenings, survive crises, and celebrate art, music, and culture! As wealthy corporations buy up small-town papers and radio stations, human dignity leaders are working hard to support rural media makers. These partnerships allow us to amplify pro-democracy organizing, share […]
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Summer of Pride
All across the state, we are celebrating Juneteenth and Pride in living rooms, parks, and community art centers. Inclusion of all and equality for all is one of the four core pillars of a thriving democracy. In these times of culture war, public celebrations like these are a key way that organizers are holding space […]
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Native Youth Call for Dam Removal
You may have met the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Youth Leadership Council at the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, or read about them in last month’s ROPnet about Human Dignity Awards. In today’s ROPnet, we want to share with you the full story of their powerful campaign to remove the four […]
Read MoreCongresspeople are Home. Let’s Talk!
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? The August recess is prime time for human dignity group leaders to meet with their members of Congress since they are home in Oregon for the month. Currently, our two Senators have frequent, open, unscripted, in-person town halls. These “real town halls” are quite different from the sterile, “tele-town halls” that representatives […]
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What happened in the legislative session?
Oregon’s 2023 legislative session ended on June 25th, and if you’re like us, it was a bit overwhelming to keep up with the flurry of headlines as our lawmakers voted on dozens of bills in the final days! Now that we’ve caught our breath, what are the big takeaways from the session? Read on for […]
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A Caucus to Remember
This year’s Caucus was one for the books! On the weekend of May 20th, over 115 people from 23 counties and two tribal communities gathered in Albany for the Saturday Rural Caucus and Strategy Session. Many of us stuck around on Sunday for the Rural Organizing Intensive. We kicked off the weekend on Friday, where […]
Read MoreKTA: Building a Strong Leadership Team
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? Do you ever think: “Wow there are so many campaigns we could be working on, if only we had more people to share the load!” Many of us across the state have hosted public events in June, or are gearing up for summer fair booths and other ways to meet new people […]
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2023 Human Dignity Award Winners!
Each year at the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, ROP gives Human Dignity Awards to several groups to lift up and celebrate the powerful organizing they have done over the past year in their communities. This year, we gathered for the Caucus on May 20th in Albany to swap stories, build community, and strategize for […]
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Welcome to the team, Sam!
If you were at this year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session in Albany, you already had the pleasure of meeting Sam Corti, ROP’s newest staff member! Sam joined the ROP staff team in early 2023 as our Development and Communications Coordinator, plus bagel wrangler! We have loved working with the incredible Sam on everything from […]
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Showing Up Against Attacks on Democracy
How have you been feeling following the May elections? At the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session last month, over 100 rural and small-town Oregonians dug in together to debrief the election results and strategize about our local organizing going forward. Some folks arrived having won major victories against anti-democratic candidates including members of People’s Rights […]
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11 People Responsible for Majority of US Book Challenges
Do you have a loud but small group of people fear-mongering about queer and trans people at school board meetings? On a community Facebook group? Or at the library in your town? We’ve been hearing stories from across the state (some of which we’re excited to share over ROPnet soon!) about how everyday folks are […]
Read MoreWelcome Wagon!
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? With the arrival of summer, many groups have plans to host Pride, Juneteenth, or a summer barbeque. Others are setting up a booth at the county fair or local farmers market. Summer is a great time to meet new people, add them to your cleaned-up county database (if you missed last month’s […]
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Party & Rural Organizing Intensive this weekend!
We are just a little bit away from getting our first glimpses into the May election results, and we are counting our lucky stars that we get to debrief, celebrate victories (we hope!), grieve losses (we hope not!), and plan for what’s coming next in rural Oregon at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session this […]
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We Believe We Will Win!
The 2023 Rural Caucus & Strategy Session is just a little over a week away, and below are a few reasons why you won’t want to miss getting together this year! Seats are limited, so please register now to save your spot for the Caucus on Saturday, May 20th, and the Rural Organizing Intensive on […]
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Major Funding for Housing
The Oregon Governor and Legislature put together an unprecedented funding package to address two of Oregon’s most pressing crises: houselessness and a shortage of affordable housing. Called the “Affordable Housing & Emergency Homelessness Response Package,” the new law authorizes over $200 million for a wide range of programs, including preventing people from losing housing, finding […]
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It Takes a Village to Raise a Caucus!
We are gearing up for our annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session! On Saturday, May 20th, more than 100 rural organizers, activists, and community leaders from across the state will gather in Albany, Oregon to connect with each other, reflect on the last year, and strategize around the work we will do for justice in […]
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School Board Elections & More!
For years, rural Oregonians have taken action during elections as an opportunity to grow the movement for human dignity for the long-haul while electing leaders who work to advance democracy and justice for all. Folks across rural Oregon are exercising their muscles for democracy and inclusion and to overcome the politics of fear and exclusion […]
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Building a Progressive County Database
Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects or […]
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Meet the 2023 Board Slate!
Over the last year, rural organizers have built community, defended democracy, and advanced human dignity across the state, from starting a new Gay-Straight Alliance at Lakeview High School to building a low-barrier shelter and resource center in Sweet Home, and passing powerful ballot measures that took slavery out of the Oregon Constitution and will hold […]
Read MoreWhat will the 2023 Rural Caucus and Strategy Session hold?!
The news from the last week has been overwhelming, to say the least. Judges are battling over access to abortion medication, Idaho passed a new law to criminalize people traveling to access abortion care in other states, and a US President was indicted for the first time in US history. Thousands of students in Tennessee […]
Read MoreMeet Oregon’s Budget Crafters
We believe in the power of a functioning democracy! For our democracy to work well, the people must actively participate in it all year round! The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Ways & Means Committee (the lawmakers who prepare the State’s budget), is hosting meetings across Oregon to hear from communities about the 2023-2025 budget. This is […]
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Separate Your Sheriff from Federal Immigration Enforcement
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? This month’s Kitchen Table Activism is for human dignity groups and community members to meet with local law enforcement to discuss how they are complying with the Sanctuary Promise Act (SPA). Everyone has the right to live safely in Oregon and in order for that to happen, local law enforcement needs […]
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Tillamook Campaign School Trains Potential Local Candidates
With the May school board elections fast approaching, human dignity leaders around the state are working to identify, recruit, and work with local candidates who will advocate for human dignity and build safe and welcoming communities for all. In 2021, organizers in Tillamook County launched the Tillamook Campaign School to focus their efforts on local […]
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New GSA Gets Official Approval in Lakeview!
Students and their adult allies across the state are building power to make each and every school inclusive of 2SLGBTQIA+ people, from inclusive curriculum to welcoming hallway culture to gender-free bathrooms. Read the inspiring story of the Lakeview High School and Daly Middle School Gay-Straight Alliance below. After organizing for months, they convinced their school […]
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Action Planning for Sanctuary Promise
Rural communities and human dignity leaders have organized for decades to build safe and welcoming communities for all. We won a huge victory in 2021 when we passed the Sanctuary Promise Act (SPA) through the Oregon legislature to expand our decades-old Sanctuary Law. Oregon now has the strongest sanctuary policies in the entire country. They […]
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Sweet Home Organizers Build Low-Barrier Shelter and Resource Center
As communities across the state are experiencing harsh winter weather and housing remains unaffordable and scarce, many are feeling a growing urgency to address the housing crisis. Today we want to share the story of how Sweet Home organizers built a low-barrier shelter and resource facility, as well as statewide opportunities to advocate for housing […]
Read MoreRegister for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session!
This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is to decide who will represent your group and your community at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on Saturday, May 20th in the Linn/Benton county area! WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? For 30 years, rural organizers and community leaders from across rural Oregon have come together for the Rural Caucus […]
Read MoreTaking Legal Action for the Promise of Sanctuary
Today the Rural Organizing Project and Community Alliance of Lane County (CALC) filed a lawsuit against the City of Cottage Grove and its Police Department for violating Oregon’s Sanctuary Promise Act. With Oregon Law Center’s legal representation, ROP and CALC are asking a judge to order Cottage Grove to stop using local resources to assist […]
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Make Your 2023 Legislative Action Plan!
Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects or […]
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The Rural Caucus is Coming – May 20th!
Mark your calendars and get your group registered: this year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be Saturday, May 20th in the Linn/Benton county area! For more than 30 years, small-town and rural organizers and community leaders from across Oregon have joined together annually at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session to reflect on the […]
Read More![[KTA] Get Ready for the Legislative Session!](https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-10-11-at-4.04.01-PM-edited-1-350x233.png)
[KTA] Get Ready for the Legislative Session!
Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects or […]
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New Oregon Eviction Data and Housing Bill
When we had conversations with human dignity leaders around the state to create a Roadmap to a Thriving Rural Oregon in 2020, safe and affordable housing was a top priority. Now, three years later, more evictions are happening than even before the pandemic, and rental prices are skyrocketing! Many human dignity groups are working on creative local solutions, including […]
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Celebrating 30 Years of Rural Organizing!
It’s said that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does often rhyme. 2022 has included countless challenges to inclusive democracy that echo what rural Oregon experienced in 1992: the insistence that we should be scared of our neighbors and that our differences are too great to find common ground. What we knew then, and what […]
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Sanctuary Promise in Action
Over one year ago we celebrated a huge victory when we passed the Sanctuary Promise Act! Thanks to the hard work of human dignity leaders, Oregon now has the strongest sanctuary policies in the entire country. Now we get to make sure everyone knows about this big win so that we can uphold the new protections and […]
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Advancing Democracy in Rural Oregon
2022 has been another monumental year for rural Oregonians and for our democracy. As we begin to wrap up the year, it’s a good time to reflect back on what we’ve been able to accomplish together as more than 70 human dignity groups and thousands of everyday rural Oregonians.For ROP, 2022 included our 30th birthday […]
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Celebrate the Holidays with Human Rights Awards!
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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Hosting the ROP Exhibit to Strengthen Local Organizing
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind! As we catch our breath and begin to think about how our local organizing will build off of the election results, now is a great time to be grounding ourselves in the local issues that we care about and building a wider circle of folks to advance human […]
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Colorado Springs In Our Hearts
Dear ROPnet, Many of us are grappling with the devastating news of the mass shooting over the weekend at a queer nightclub in Colorado Springs. As we grieve, we also recognize that this attack is a backlash to some of the powerful victories won by and for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in this past election. Among these victories […]
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Universal Childcare in New Mexico and Other Victories!
There is so much to celebrate at the national level coming out of the midterm elections! The country elected its first two openly lesbian governors, Tina Kotek and Maura Healey. Transgender candidates were also voted in, including James Roesner in New Hampshire, who became the first out trans man to win election to a state legislature. Abortion […]
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Democracy At Work: Counting Ballots
I woke up this morning to fresh snow sparkling in the sunshine, grateful that our country is carrying out a democratic election with no major reports of voter intimidation. While many races have yet to be declared, we can already celebrate two statewide ballot measures that advance democracy! Thousands of rural Oregonians have taken action to […]
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Election Day Final Push!
Election Day is here, and for many of us, it brings stress and anticipation after we’ve had so many conversations with neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers. Thousands of rural Oregonians have taken action to support their neighbors in voting, and there are still a few hours left! Here are a few Election Day actions that you […]
Read More![[KTA] Election Day is Just the Beginning!](https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Caucus_SingingCircle-350x319.jpeg)
[KTA] Election Day is Just the Beginning!
Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects or […]
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Misinformation & Transphobia
It’s been a wild few weeks since school started this fall. We wanted to share the below OPB article with you as an example of what we are hearing crop up across rural Oregon: attacks that use rhetoric about “protecting children” from 2SLGBTQIA+ scapegoats to undermine public education and other crucial public infrastructure. Culver School District pulled their students […]
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Rural Libraries Under Attack
Libraries and public schools are under attack, both in Oregon and across the country. The ongoing attempts to ban books, censor inclusive curricula and threaten and intimidate teachers, students and other community members working to advance inclusion are anti-democratic to their core! Oregonians in many communities are saying enough is enough and demanding that we […]
Read More![[KTA] Make Your Election Organizing Plan!](https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ROP_r30yr_Logo_Color1black.jpg){kind=logo}
[KTA] Make Your Election Organizing Plan!
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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Reproductive Justice From John Day to Ashland
Following the Supreme Court ruling revoking the constitutional right to abortion, communities across the country are experiencing ongoing attacks on reproductive rights including a proposed federal abortion ban. Two weeks ago the University of Idaho released sweeping new guidance based on state anti-abortion laws, prohibiting professors from sharing emergency contraception or providing abortion counseling. In response to attacks like […]
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Get the Web STAND Election Guide!
With just 38 days until Election Day, groups across the state are having conversations with their neighbors about what’s at stake this year and how we can use the power of our votes to advance democracy and human dignity! Visit our website to find more information about the 2022 STAND Election Guide(Small Town Actions for a New […]
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Human Dignity Awards
Rural community leaders and activists joined together in Redmond for the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session on June 25th to celebrate, strategize, and build relationships for the year to come! After over two long years of social distancing, we took the time to celebrate powerful human dignity groups that have won lasting victories for their […]
Read MoreCommunity Education to Protect Democracy
One of the biggest issues facing rural Oregon is the erosion of trust in local government and in democracy itself. In this ROPnet, we share how the Political Action Committee of the Linn Benton NAACP took action and held Protecting Democracy: Civics Circuit Training, a free and public event that brought together more than 80 community members […]
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Neighbors Gather Together After Extreme Hailstorm in Wallowa
Dear ROPnet, On August 11th, the town of Wallowa was hit by a severe hail storm. Hail damaged buildings and cars, leaving massive amounts of destruction in the town, and the Mayor declared a state of emergency. Read on to find out how the community has come together in the wake of this disaster, how […]
Read MoreOrder STAND Guides: It’s Election Time!
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The theory is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results as groups of people gather to complete the same action throughout the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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What are your election plans?
From huge victories for reproductive justice in Kansas to Congress passing the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re seeing glimmers of hope about what people power makes possible in the face of recent bleak US Supreme Court decisions. We have exciting opportunities to make a big difference here in rural Oregon during the upcoming election, from local races for City […]
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Rooting our Organizing in Healing Justice
Amidst the unanticipated challenges of the last few years, we have learned an incredible amount about how to build strong groups and support one another so that we are ready to meet whatever comes. With so much to do, it can be easy to forget about the things that sustain our organizing for the long […]
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Madras Key Club Serves 900 Youth
This ROPnet is a special feature! Read on for an update from Jefferson County human dignity group, Madras Key Club, written by Erika Olivera, ROP’s summer intern! Madras Key Club Organizes Jefferson County Fair’s First Ever Free and Culturally Inclusive Craft Booth, Serving 900 Kids in 4 Days! By Erika Olivera Many kids in Jefferson […]
Read MoreReconnecting, Reinvigorating, Reflecting Together
The Rural Caucus and Strategy Session did not disappoint! Once the dust settled and everyone headed home, we were left with a warm glow from the beautiful weekend, as well as countless stories and organizing ideas that we can’t wait to continue sharing with you all. This year over 100 people from 25 Oregon counties […]
Read More![[KTA] Host Bridging Divides, Defending Dignity in Your Community!](https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/unnamed-350x124.jpg)
[KTA] Host Bridging Divides, Defending Dignity in Your Community!
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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The Supreme Court Cited “Ordered Liberty” to Overturn “Roe.” What’s Next?
It’s been one month since the June Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe vs Wade, going back on a 50-year-old decision that said the constitution protects the right to an abortion. As many of us grapple with how to proactively protect other fundamental human rights, we wanted to share the powerful words written last week […]
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Rural Oregon Rises Up!
Since this morning when the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, rural Oregonians have been turning our anger into action plans. If you are in Central Oregon for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session or for any other reason, please join us tomorrow night: Redmond Collective Action is hosting a rally Saturday, June 25th […]
Read MoreThe Fall of Roe Means We Rise Up!
This morning, The US Supreme Court went through with their plans leaked a few weeks ago and struck down Roe v. Wade. We are angry, we are ready to organize, and we are taking action. Today groups across rural Oregon are taking the streets to make our values visible in the face of fear. Tomorrow, we […]
Read MoreRural Caucus This Weekend – Details Inside!
We are a few days away from our first in-person Caucus since 2019, and we cannot wait to strategize with you! More than 100 rural community leaders, activists, and organizers will convene in Redmond to share lessons from the hard and powerful work of organizing through overlapping crises, build organizing skills, and plan for the […]
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Build Your Toolbox at the Rural Organizing Intensive / Construya su Caja de Herramientas durante la Sesión Intensiva de Organización Rural
We are overjoyed to be gathering together in person again for the annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session in Redmond on June 25th. Three years into the pandemic, we’ve heard countless requests for skill building, so we’ve created more space in the weekend to do just that! Stick around for the Rural Organizing Intensive on Sunday, June […]
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Gun Safety and Bodily Autonomy: Rural Oregon Takes Action!
In the past few weeks we have witnessed horrible acts of gun violence including against Black grocery store shoppers in Buffalo, NY; 4th graders and teachers in Uvalde, TX; Taiwanese worshipers in Laguna Woods, CA; and families at both an outdoor festival and a hospital in Tulsa, OK. In the midst of grief, rage, fear, and frustration, people are organizing all across the […]
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Bans Off Our Bodies
On May 2nd, Politico reported on the leaked draft opinion from the US Supreme Court that, if finalized, will overturn Roe v. Wade. Since then, thousands of rural Oregonians and millions of people across the country have taken action to make their support of reproductive justice visible, from rallies in front of town halls and post offices […]
Read More[KTA] Back to our Roots
It has been inspiring to see how many people are moving into action for the first time when faced with the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade, the attacks on 2SLGBTQIA+ students and neighbors, and beyond. Take action this month to build momentum and grow the movement for human dignity, reproductive justice, and democracy for […]
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8 Reasons Not to Miss the Caucus!
ROP is turning 30 and we are overjoyed to be gathering together in person again! Join us in Redmond for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on Saturday, June 25th, and the Rural Organizing Intensive on Sunday, June 26th. The registration deadline to receive the early bird discount has been extended to May 25th, so check […]
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Take Action for Reproductive Health Care Access!
The ability to access and afford healthcare is crucial to making sure that everyone can live their lives fully and thrive in rural communities. The Right has been spending huge amounts of money to restrict abortion access for decades, and yesterday Politico released the US Supreme Court’s initial draft opinion that, if finalized, will strike down the Roe […]
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An Unnatural Disaster
Knowing that many of us experience the consequences of climate crises, including harsh winter storms, mudslides, and wildfires, we wanted to share a powerful podcast series from the Truth to Power Club at Ashland High School that reflects on the Almeda Fire in Jackson County in 2020.
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Welcome to the Team, Sidra!
We are so excited to introduce the newest member to the ROP staff team: Sidra Pierson! As we are fitfully emerging from the winter omicron spike, rural community leaders are taking action right now and we are thrilled to share that ROP is expanding our staff team of brilliant, experienced, dedicated, passionate people focused on building […]
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Growing a Row for Joe & Flo
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
Read MoreCollective action in Redmond & at the Caucus!
This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be on Saturday, June 25th and Sunday, June 26th in Redmond! Register your group by May 1st for the early bird discount! In 2020, Redmond and Crook County leaders with the Central Oregon Diversity Project partnered to host a Black Lives Matter rally that included a resource drive […]
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Tillamook Expands Voter Education
Are you trying to increase voter education in your community? Organizers in Tillamook County figured out a way to guarantee that everyone can be informed about candidates running for local office. They devised a plan that encourages cities to distribute Voter Pamphlets to residents. So far, they have been successful getting resolutions passed in Wheeler, Nehalem and Bay […]
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Big Victories in the Legislature!
Did you hear? Rural Oregon won some big victories this year in the legislative session, including overtime pay for farmworkers; helping close the wealth gap for Oregon’s Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities; making sure every Oregonian in immigration court has access to a lawyer; and reducing the number of people stopped by law enforcement, just to […]
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Register for Rural Caucus & Strategy Session!
This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is to decide who will represent your group and your community at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on Saturday, June 25th and Sunday, June 26th in Central Oregon! WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? For 30 years, rural organizers and community leaders from across rural Oregon have joined together at the […]
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Peace in Ukraine & Beyond
The daily headlines are flooded with the latest updates as Russia invades Ukraine and US troops are sent to bolster North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries’ defenses. Human dignity groups across Oregon and communities around the world have responded, calling for peace and funding our communities instead of the global military expansion of Russia and NATO. Read on […]
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Thanks for Being Our Valentine!
Dear ROPnet, The interconnections between communities and human dignity groups is what makes ROP strong. Thank you to everyone who shared their love this month by submitting Valentines to Rural Organizers, and thank you to all of you who show your love for rural Oregon through your daily work for justice and human dignity! Read […]
Read MoreThe Town That QAnon Nearly Swallowed
We’re collecting Valentines to Rural Organizers to create a record of the creativity and care that flows through this web of organizers! How does it work? The ROP Staff team will gather notes, poems, recordings, or artwork from you and then share them back out over ROPnet. Share your words of encouragement with fellow organizers […]
Read More![[KTA] Legislative Session Action Plan](https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Roadmap-Version-2-350x227.png)
[KTA] Legislative Session Action Plan
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
Read MoreValentines to Rural Organizers
Want to send in a valentine to rural organizers? Read on for more details and submit it using the form below! We have a long history at ROP of taking time on Valentine’s Day to remind each other that we’re united by love and hope and that we’ve got each other’s backs! Some of you […]
Read MoreWe’re Hiring a Communications Coordinator!
In times like these, when communities are facing rapidly evolving crises and clear, strategic communication is more essential than ever, we are excited to share that ROP is looking to hire a full-time Communications Coordinator. Do you know a skilled messenger who could lead the staff in building integrated, dynamic communications that strengthen the ability […]
Read MorePoint-in-Time Count: Who Needs Shelter in Your County?
What is the activity? Each January, agencies across the country complete the Point-in-Time Count to add up the number of community members without housing in their area and determine how much federal funding counties receive for relevant services. Service agencies often only have enough capacity to take the count at shelters and need volunteers to […]
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Connecting Rural Voices
One of the most important ways ROP is building a thriving rural Oregon for all is by connecting rural voices. We know how important it is for rural communities to be able to communicate with each other and stay up-to-date on current events, both as a way of building community and to keep members of […]
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Local Organizers Support Health and Wellbeing
When it comes to the COVID-19 public health crisis, local organizers from Lake County to Jackson and Benton Counties are committed to showing up for their neighbors and protecting each other from this deadly virus. Read on for three stories of how local human dignity group leaders continue to tackle the pandemic nearly two years in […]
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Safe and Welcoming Communities
In 2020 as part of creating the Roadmap to a Thriving Rural Oregon, the ROP network of more than 80 autonomous human dignity groups, agreed that in order to thrive, rural communities must be safe and welcoming to all people, regardless of their background. This past year, human dignity groups have continued to organize that goal […]
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Building Community and Food Security
In February 2019, ROP was gifted the downtown Cottage Grove building that is now known affectionately as the Community Building Center. We had no idea then that the Center would grow to become a bustling hub of activity during the COVID-19 pandemic and catastrophic wildfires, bringing together dozens of service agencies and hundreds of volunteers […]
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ROP is growing! Now hiring!
Thanks to generous support from donors, ROP has expanded our ability to support human dignity groups and community leaders across the state! We are thrilled to introduce you to our two newest team members, and to announce that we are hiring a Communication Coordinator! Read on to meet Abelio and Emily, and please help us get the word […]
Read MoreKitchen Table Activity: Honoring Human Rights Heroes
What is the Activity? This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is to award a certificate to one or more community members whose work strengthens one or more of the thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). On the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, let’s take the opportunity to remind our […]
Read MoreHealthy and Accessible Learning Environments
School boards across the state have been ground zero in the work to defend democracy and ensure that everyone in rural Oregon has access to quality education. Together as a network of more than 80 autonomous human dignity groups, ROP identified healthy and accessible learning environments for all children as a crucial destination on the Roadmap […]
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Racial Justice from Kenosha to Rural Oregon
We are frustrated and angry at the news of Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal. In August 2020, Rittenhouse, a teenager from Illinois crossed state lines into Kenosha, Wisconsin with an AR-15, and shot three Black Lives Matter activists who were protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man. Two of those people died. Both the Kenosha […]
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Pride Across Rural Oregon
As school boards across Oregon receive homophobic and transphobic pushback for implementing basic safety and resource measures for LGBTQ2SIA+ students, we wanted to share and reflect on two stories of powerful rural Pride events human dignity groups organized in Wallowa and Harney Counties last summer. At the beginning of June, organizers hosted Pride at the Nez […]
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Newberg Fights for Equity
Human dignity groups have held weekly rallies and flag waves in support of the Movement for Black Lives at Newberg’s city flagpole since the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020. These weekly gatherings took on renewed urgency though this past August when the Newberg School Board enacted a ban on wearing or displaying Black […]
Read More![[KTA] Book Club on Transformation: Toward a People’s Democracy](https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Image-11-2-21-at-7.21-PM-350x227.png)
[KTA] Book Club on Transformation: Toward a People’s Democracy
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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I Affirm
After a Grants Pass teacher and administrator started a transphobic campaign in their school district this spring, middle and high school students in Grants Pass and human dignity group leaders across Josephine County formed the I Affirm Coalition to respond. Through powerful middle and high school-led rallies, passionate school board testimony, and county-wide organizing, the I Affirm […]
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Community Spaces are Essential
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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Justice for Barry Washington Jr.
On Saturday, September 18th, Barry Washington Jr., a young Black man, was murdered in downtown Bend. The murderer, Ian Cranston, was initially charged with manslaughter, meaning he was accused of killing someone unintentionally and was released on bond a couple of hours later. Cranston’s Facebook is covered in casual uses of the n-word, but the […]
Read MoreTaking to the Streets for Reproductive Justice
This Saturday, groups across the network will be rallying for reproductive rights. Check out the list below for information on what’s happening in your area. Mobilizing for reproductive rights is not new to the ROP network. In 2018, Ballot Measure 106 tried to amend the Oregon constitution to prevented public employees and working-class people, including […]
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Borders, Blackness, and Empire
The brutal treatment of Haitian migrants at the US-Mexico Border this past week has been horrifying, to say the least. Groups across the state and the country are participating in a national day of action on Wednesday calling on the Biden administration to end anti-Black and anti-immigrant policies and practices as well as ensure that […]
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Exhibits That Build the Movement: Then & Now
ROP is turning 30! Next year will mark the third decade since a grassroots network of rural human dignity groups from across Oregon joined together to fight a homophobic ballot measure put forward by the Oregon Citizens Alliance in 1992. Our team is hard at work to commemorate this anniversary by creating a traveling exhibit about […]
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New Lines and New Laws Toward a Thriving Rural Oregon
A special legislative session began this week to decide how the maps for state and federal representative districts will be drawn based on the new information from the latest census. We know that when we organize together as a state that we are mighty! We successfully took action together and passed several of our priorities in […]
Read MoreThe Right’s Slow Reversal of Roe v. Wade
Last week many of us were alarmed by news of Texas’ SB8, a state law that would allow anyone to sue anyone involved in providing abortion care more than six weeks after conception, which is about two weeks after people generally realize they may be pregnant. Signed into law by Texas governor Greg Abbott in May, the […]
Read More[KTA] Support Local Health and Safety Efforts
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
Read MoreCrisis Averted in Klamath – For Now
Last month we sent out a Kitchen Table Activity about the water crisis in the Klamath Basin and the ways that national far Right movement leaders were considering making Klamath their next big national stand. Luckily, things have cooled off some in Klamath, and it’s in no small part because of the response of the Klamath […]
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Supporting Asylum-Seekers in Lincoln County
Two years ago in Lincoln County, Acompañar formed out of community need. Asylum seekers were paying exorbitant rates for rides to their Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appointments and local leaders got together to fix that. Now, 2 years later, they have expanded to raising funds and continuing to build systems of mutual support. Read on to learn more about […]
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Kitchen Table Activism: Grow a Row for Food Security
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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Lessons From 30 Years of Fighting the Right
ROP recently experienced a new round of harassment and threats to our building and staff, which we believe to be tied to right-wing elements that oppose our goal to build equitable and welcoming communities for all across rural Oregon. While, thankfully, that harassment has eased in recent weeks after a strong show of solidarity by […]
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Broken Glass, Broken Trust
We were struck by Douglas County’s Robert Leo Heilman’s latest essay: Broken Glass, Broken Trust, published at The Daily Yonder. Robert eloquently describes what it’s been like living in Douglas County through the “Timber Wars” through now, when he recently had his home vandalized in the middle of the night in response to one of his […]
Read MoreWhen the Proud Boys Go Marching In
Summer is the time when rural communities and small towns gather together for the traditional farmers markets, community festivals, and county fairs. After the COVID-19 shutdown, communities and fair boards have been grappling with whether it’s safe to gather, whether they can even get the required insurance to hold their events, and so on. Two […]
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Truth to Power Club: Pairing Education and Action
This February, Ashland High School’s Truth to Power Club reached out to us on Instagram to share about their podcast, Tea, Toast, and Truth. We were impressed by how they connected the dots between issues like houselessness and the senseless murders of Black youth within the podcast while also calling the community into action through organizing […]
Read MoreKitchen Table Activism: Support Indigenous Water Sovereignty
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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What a year with the Rural Organizing Fellows!
The second cohort of the Rural Organizing Fellowship has come to a close and we are amazed by the Fellows’ commitment to helping their communities thrive in a year that was more difficult than any of us could have anticipated! In the midst of a global pandemic, wildfires burning across the state, and a presidential election […]
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Love & gratitude for my ROP family
Six years ago, just before the 24th annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, a friend called and asked if I’d like to go with them to the Caucus. I had no idea what the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session was and I’d never heard of ROP. My stunned friend replied, “you’ve never heard of ROP?! […]
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Victory in Vernonia!
Like so many communities around the state, local leaders in Vernonia came together in a new way in the Spring of 2020 to protest the murder of George Floyd and other Black and brown people killed by police. The organizing that grew out of those roadside Black Lives Matter actions led to the formation of Vernonia Equality […]
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Community Media Spotlight: Tea, Toast and Truth
In our second season of RRR, we’re on a mission to explore community-based, intergenerational, collaborative, rural media from across the state. We’ve been calling the episodes “Community Media Spotlights” and showcasing the diversity of rural media around the state. Throughout the season we’ve been on the lookout for other small town and rural podcasts that […]
Read MoreKitchen Table Activism: Community Wildfire Preparation
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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We had so much fun at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session!
From building our skills to defend our communities from detention and deportation to organizer speed-dating to collectively dancing to “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics, the 30th annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session was powerful. More than 100 rural organizers, community leaders, and activists joined together virtually to reflect on the victories and immense challenges we’ve […]
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30+ Years of Rural Organizing Stories
Did you know ROP hired an archivist? Kate Orazem joined ROP in November 2020 and has started to process our collection of materials which document 30+ years of rural organizing in Oregon. What do ROP’s archives contain? What stories do these records tell? And why does all this matter for ongoing organizing happening today? To […]
Read MoreWelcome to the team!
** ROP is now hiring for a full-time Pantry Manager in Cottage Grove and a Community Organizer who can work remotely from anywhere in Oregon! Read more below and apply at rop.org/careers ** We are so excited to introduce the newest member to the ROP staff team: Monica Pearson! If you recognize the organizing powerhouse’s […]
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Last Call! Virtual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session Agenda
It’s the final countdown! We are bursting with excitement to see all of your lovely faces at the 2021 Virtual Rural Caucus tomorrow! Even though we can’t be together in person, we draw so much energy from even seeing each other virtually. There is so much to celebrate and also so much more work to be done. […]
Read MoreLet’s Dance This Saturday!
From a play created by organizers in Tillamook County on the local history of the Klu Klux Klan performed in schools, to anti-war poetry in the lead up to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to the Barnyard Ruckus, where organizers came from around the state dressed in animal costumes for a day at that […]
Read More5 Reasons To Come To The Caucus
You don’t want to miss this year’s Virtual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session happening on Saturday, May 15th! We can’t be together in person, but this won’t stop us from celebrating all that has happened across the network this past year! Will there be singing? YES. Will there be dancing? YES. Will there be inspiring conversations with organizers […]
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Kitchen Table Activism: No Special Duty
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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Behind the Scenes with KPOV & The Point
We know that truly local community media is essential to a thriving and just community. It’s resilient, accessible, and created by and for local communities. That’s why this season of Rural Roots Rising we’re highlighting locally-created rural media from around the state and exploring the deeper community building and organizing strategies behind rural community radio […]
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Black Lives Matter: Tools for Organizers
** Leaders from the ROP network invite you to join the #FreeThemAll Mother’s Day Letter Writing and Caravan event! This statewide letter-writing campaign is happening now through May 7. Community members are invited to write supportive letters to immigrants who are being detained in the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. The letters will be picked up […]
Read MoreKitchen Table Activism: Register for the Caucus!
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
Read MoreGrief and Resistance
We share the pain and outrage that many folks across the ROP network are feeling in response to the terrible murders targeting Asian American women in North Georgia this week. We gather together with our loved ones, whether physically or virtually in difficult times because we know that we are the ones who will keep each other […]
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When community organizing meets local radio!
What do you get when community organizers build a community radio station? KPOV High Desert Community Radio and shows like The Point that lift up the voices of those most impacted by the issues that matter most to the community! This month on Rural Roots Rising, we continue highlighting rural community media by featuring KPOV and The Point, a […]
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Kitchen Table Activism: Meet Your Legislators!
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects […]
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Behind the Scenes with Rural Race Talks
If you tuned into Rural Roots Rising last month, you know that we created our first Community Media Spotlight, a series we plan to continue throughout this season to highlight folks working at the intersections of rural organizing and media making! This two-part episode features LaNicia Duke, the host of Rural Race Talks on Coast Community Radio! If you missed the […]
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Thanks for Being Our Valentine!
The love you poured into Valentines to Rural Organizers is leaving us in puddles of gratitude! We are so excited to share this collection of creativity and care from across our network with each and every one of you. The Valentines below are just a small snapshot of all the gratitude we hold for all the heart […]
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Better Broadband, and Affordable Utilities for All!
Across the network, rural organizers have been calling for broadband internet to be considered a public utility. Given the massive power outages of recent weeks both in Oregon and across the country, we are excited to expand tomorrow’s strategy session about internet access to include improving our utilities more broadly. From electricity to broadband internet, […]
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Rural Communities Safe from State Violence
We are looking forward to tomorrow’s rural strategy session: Keeping Rural Communities Safe from State Violence! Speakers from across rural Oregon will be joining us to share how they’re building stronger and supportive communities that hold each other through crisis and conflict, and we’ll strategize together about: Creating safe places for people living outside to warm up […]
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Owning Our Histories, Shaping Our Futures
The ROP network is powerful and has been confronting racism and winning local victories across the state! Over the past year and beyond, groups have been protesting against police brutality, holding elected officials accountable to a high standard of human dignity, and paving the way to an Oregon where every community member feels truly welcomed. […]
Read MoreValentines to Rural Organizers
Want to send in a valentine to rural organizers? Read on for more details and submit it using the form below! Rural Organizing Project has a long history of taking time on Valentine’s Day to remind each other that we’re united by love and hope and that we’ve got each other’s backs! For those of […]
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From ‘99 to Now: Organizing for Housing Justice!
The crisis of access to affordable housing has reached a fever pitch during the pandemic, but it has been a problem for a long time in rural Oregon. Do you care about rural housing for all? Is your group taking action or do you want to get started? You’re invited to Affordable, Available, Accessible: A […]
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Building Growing Fighting: Strategy Session Recap
On Friday night, more than 70 rural Oregonians virtually gathered for Build, Grow, Fight: A Rural Movement Strategy Session! We shared space with organizers from across the state and beyond to discuss the attempted coup, celebrated the victories that community organizing and building people’s power have made possible, and focused on how we’re going to […]
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Community Media Spotlight: Rural Race Talks
Happy inauguration day! We know it ain’t over and there is so much work to be done, but doesn’t this victory feel good?! We hope you’ve gotten to take a minute to revel today in how powerful we are with a dance break or a sigh of relief or your favorite donut. We know that […]
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Build, Grow, Fight: A Rural Movement Strategy Session
When rural Oregon is in crisis, we gather to work together. In light of the insurrectionist events on January 6th and the looming threat of further violence this upcoming weekend through Inauguration Day, ROP is convening Build, Grow, Fight: A Rural Movement Strategy Session Friday, January 15th at 6:30 pm. Join us to think together […]
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You all are the best – thank you!
Thank you to everyone who was able to send a gift to ROP and those who helped us to meet our Collins Foundation match for new and increased donations in November and December! Thanks to you, we did it–hooray! It takes all of us doing what we can to build and sustain this vibrant and […]
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Powerful Rural Organizing in 2020!
We knew we had our work cut out for us at the beginning of 2020, with an obvious struggle for democracy taking place across the country. Little did we know that we would also be contending with things straight from a dystopian sci-fi novel, including a global pandemic, a recession, catastrophic wildfires, and a violent […]
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Welcoming a New Season of Connecting Rural Voices!
Yesterday at the State Capital, Patriot Prayer attempted to disrupt the emergency session while legislators passed the relief bill for tenants at risk of eviction that many of us fought so hard for. In light of the threats, intimidation, and violence that organizers both rural and urban have been facing, we want to lift up the […]
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Extend the Eviction Ban!
The legislature is set to open for an emergency session on Monday, December 21st. On the shortest day of the year, our state must prioritize community members on the brink of losing their homes. The legislature has the opportunity to extend the eviction moratorium through the end of the school year. They will also vote […]
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It’s a Community Building and it’s also Community-Building!
Dear Friends, When ROP opened our Community Building Center (the Center) in Cottage Grove last year, we were just beginning to put into action what this new physical space would mean for our work, our network of human dignity groups, and for rural Oregon communities. We could not have foreseen a global pandemic and recession […]
Read MoreBroadband for All!
The pandemic has made clear what many rural folks have known and organized around for years: access to affordable broadband internet is a necessity for all. From online school and working from home to telehealth, folks without consistent access to high-speed internet are unable to access the resources, services, and education they need. The ROP […]
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We ALL help Rural Oregon Thrive!
Wow. We couldn’t have anticipated all that 2020 would ask of us, but we are incredibly proud of the way thousands of rural people across Oregon took action even when facing threats, violence, and the health risks that come with working together to take care of our most vulnerable community members in the midst of […]
Read MoreHindsight 2020: Telling Rural Stories
Over a year ago, when ROP committed to making 13 monthly radio show and podcast episodes to share organizing stories from across rural Oregon, we had no idea all that 2020 would hold…A pandemic! Wildfires! A renewed movement for Black liberation that is winning major victories! What a year! What we did know is that […]
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Defend Democracy Hotline Round Up
As we take a moment to celebrate both local and national wins and catch our breaths after an anxiety-inducing election season, we are also keeping a watchful eye on the upcoming transition of power and Georgia Senate runoffs that will shape the national balance of power over the next four years. On the local level, […]
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Mutual Aid and Mobile Hotspots
On Friday, Governor Brown announced another two week period of stricter COVID precautions that will go into effect on Wednesday, November 18th. In response to spiking cases and increasing deaths in our state, the new restrictions include limiting restaurants to take-out service only and limiting gatherings both indoor and outdoor to no more than 6 people. We […]
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We Won and We’re Not Done!
We did it! We showed up in so many ways for democracy and human dignity this election season. Our victories wouldn’t have been possible without rural folks across the nation talking with their neighbors across the fence, phone banking at home and in swing states, and mailing stacks of handwritten postcards and letters. And we […]
Read MoreWe’re in This Together
The big day is here and I woke up this morning feeling queasy with nerves. Like many of you, I have been inspired by the reports of overflowing ballot drop boxes across rural Oregon from human dignity groups who have been working for months to support their neighbors voting while talking about the issues! Today […]
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Rural Elections: Fighting for Every Last Vote
Dear ROPnet, From neighbor-to-neighbor conversations about the issues to responding to voter intimidation, rural Oregonians have been defending democracy in every county at every turn! Join us by phone or computer on Thursday, November 5th from 6:30 – 8 pm PST to recap all of the work rural communities and small towns are doing […]
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Defend Democracy: Blackberries & Ballot Measures
We’re just over two weeks away from election day, and this ROPnet is all about how rural Oregonians are having neighbor-to-neighbor conversations about the issues that matter most to our communities! With a global pandemic and threats to a free and fair election ramping up, we know this election season is unlike any other. That’s […]
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Defending Democracy for a Fair Election
Have you checked your mail today? Small Town Actions for a New Democracy (STAND) Election Guides, the only statewide election guide by and for rural Oregonians, is landing in mailboxes this week! As voters face a barrage of election spin, rural Oregonians are sharing paper and digital STAND guides with their neighbors to offer clear […]
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Defending Democracy At Every Turn
With the election just around the corner, rural Oregonians are taking action and crafting plans to keep temperatures low(er) in their communities, to keep each other as safe as possible, and to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote can do so safely in the weeks to come. ROP invites you and your group […]
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Building Power to Free Them All
Today we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the powerful organizing and resilience of Indigenous people all across the continent! In celebrating this day, we recognize that the borders of the United States “crossed” many people, not vise versa, and how the militarization of borders and immigration has impacted Indigenous peoples. Many of you have been […]
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Small Town Actions for a New Democracy
With 27 days to go until November 3rd, many groups across the ROP network are working hard in the lead up to the election. We know that no one candidate will provide a magic bullet solution, but electing candidates with a vision of safe and welcoming communities for all is one simple way for many […]
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Rural Mutual Aid and Wildfire Response
In the face of the devastating fires that have led to the complete destruction of several towns and the mass evacuations of thousands of people, communities all across Western Oregon are pulling together to help each other get through. Some folks are focused on evacuating families and livestock and leading mutual aid drives as new […]
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Our Growing Web–Become a Monthly Sustainer!
We have the goal of having 25 people sign up as new Monthly Sustainers for ROP in the month of September! Become a Monthly Sustainer for ROP and help us have a steady, monthly income to stay focused on the work of building a network of more than 70 human dignity groups organizing for justice […]
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Tools for Creating a Culture of Safety and Security
Over the summer of 2020, we have witnessed white supremacist militias and counter-protestors threaten, harass, and intimidate Black Lives Matter organizers in rural communities. We have also seen local law enforcement ignore these threats to community safety, and in some cases even encourage them. And we have seen federal officers kidnap undocumented community members and […]
Read More2020 STAND Election Guide & Resources
Online ordering is currently closed. If you want to order guides call us at (503)-543-8417 ASAP! We have a limited supply but if we have enough left we can mail you what we’ve got! *Mensaje Bilingue / Bilingual Message* Election season is upon us, and across the ROP network, people are taking action to save the […]
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Victory! ICE is Out of NORCOR!
Today, organizers across the Gorge successfully ended NORCOR’s contract with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), the last ICE contract with a jail in our state. This is a huge victory for immigrant justice in Oregon and the entire nation! It has taken years of on the ground organizing and multiple concrete victories to get to […]
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Rural Roots Rising: Taking Risks
In rural Oregon, we know that building a better world together is only possible through forging strong community relationships, building networks, breaking isolation, and Taking Risks. In this month’s episode of Rural Roots Rising, you’ll hear from Suzanne Pharr, a movement elder and the founder of the Arkansas Women’s Project, and Zachary Stocks, an organizer, […]
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Time to Save the USPS!
Communities across the country have been in an uproar after Postmaster General DeJoy put into motion plans to cut hours, remove post boxes, slow down the mail, and dismantle the ability for the United States Postal Service to deliver ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rural Oregonians are familiar with this decades-long campaign by the Right […]
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ICE Out of Central Oregon
Wednesday afternoon, I found myself in a hotel parking lot in Bend with a crowd of at least 100 people surrounding two ICE transportation buses holding captive two central Oregonians who were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at 5 am. The families and children of the two men held inside the buses stood […]
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Feeding our Communities Through Pandemic
Back in April, we convened a COVID-19 Strategy Session about feeding our communities through pandemic. Still in the early days of the pandemic, and unsure of how long it might last, farmers, food banks, and rural organizers came together to share how they were ensuring our communities could access food when grocery store shelves ran […]
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Join us: Organizing For Everyone!
So many new people are taking action at this moment and we couldn’t be more excited to continue offering skill-building training and workshops– with one coming up next week! While the pandemic continues to hit our rural communities hard, the nationwide Movement for Black Lives, widely reported to be the largest in American History, has brought a wave of energy through Oregon, […]
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Meet the 2020-2021 Rural Organizing Fellows!
We couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to this year’s cohort of brilliant and creative Rural Organizing Fellows! The Rural Organizing Fellowship is for rural folks between the ages of 16 and 30 years old who are eager to organize and make change in their small-town, rural, or frontier community! The 2020-2021 Fellows began […]
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Letter from Servando Alonso Flores on Conditions at NORCOR
“What I ask for is that no one be detained in NORCOR, for it is unjust.” -Servando Alonso Flores.
Read MoreNow Hiring: Archivist & Administration Support!
Dear Rural Organizing Project leaders and friends, I am excited to announce that we are immediately seeking candidates for our newest staff position: Archivist & Administration Support! This position will be based out of our Community Organizing Center in the heart of Cottage Grove and will focus on supporting ROP’s day-to-day functions while making ROP’s […]
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Fighting for Rural!
Fighting for Rural, the ninth episode of Rural Roots Rising, is available now! The Madras Key Club is more than a community service club at Madras High School; it’s a multiracial, multicultural group focused on making sure every person feels welcomed and included in Jefferson County. In this episode, you’ll hear from Kim Schmith, Kelsey Olivera, and […]
Read MoreKitchen Table Activism: Black Lives Matter: Understanding Your Local Budget
July 2020 Kitchen Table Activism Black Lives Matter: Understanding Your Local Budget WHY THIS ACTIVITY? As communities across our state continue to rally in the streets in defense of Black lives, we’re also bringing the conversation of how we create safety and dignity for all to our city councils, county commissioners, and local police. […]
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Remembering Kent State
As protests of police violence against Black Americans continue across the country, we have witnessed large scale police and National Guard deployment, many outfitted with intimidating and sophisticated warfighting gear. Countless videos have shown police officers and the National Guard using batons, tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets on protesters, bystanders and journalists, often […]
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Rural Organizing In Defense of Black Lives
Upcoming Trainings and Strategy Sessions: De-escalation for Organizers with Ahjamu Umi. This training has passed, but you can watch a recording HERE Join us to learn de-escalation skills for organizers from Ahjamu Umi, long-time activist and organizer with the All African People’s Revolutionary Party. Across the state of Oregon, communities are responding to the Movement for […]
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Taking Action Together for George Floyd
As protests erupt in Minneapolis, Louisville, Georgia, and beyond, people across the country are taking action (many for the first time!) to call for the end of centuries of state violence targeting Black communities and communities of color. National media is broadcasting the images and stories of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud […]
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Meatpacking Workers Organizing on the Front Lines of COVID-19
Shortly before the Trump Administration issued its Executive Order to keep meatpacking plants running at all costs, ROP got a call from Friends of Tyson Workers that more than 100 of the 1400 workers at the Tyson meatpacking plant in Wallula, WA had confirmed COVID-19 cases and one worker had died. Friends of Tyson Workers, […]
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Building our Common Good: Deep Change in the Midst of Crisis
We are so excited to gather and strategize together this Saturday, May 30th by phone and computer for the 29th annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session! Hundreds of rural community leaders, organizers, and activists are deep in the hard work of navigating this moment for the survival and dignity of everyone who calls the small […]
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Economics for Everyone!
Español abajo] The first session in an interactive workshop series: Economics for Everyone is happening tomorrow! Join us Tuesday, May 12th at 6:30 PM PST. Register here! This workshop is the first of many strategy sessions we are hosting as part of this year’s virtual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session. Click here to register for […]
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Powerful Rural Organizing During Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic exposes gaps in social safety nets that leave rural communities without reliable access to emergency resources, food, housing, healthcare, childcare, and more. In response, rural Oregonians are hard at work setting up dozens of mutual aid networks that are feeding up to hundreds of neighbors, sharing health and safety information, and making […]
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The Caucus Goes Virtual!
[Español abajo] This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session is happening by phone and computer on Saturday, May 30th from 10-11:30 AM PST and throughout the month as a series of strategy sessions! Read on for more details about these exciting upcoming gatherings. For 29 years, small-town and rural organizers, activists, and community leaders from across the […]
Read MoreWelcome to the team Meredith, Monica, and Sasha!
As thousands of rural community leaders are taking action right now to keep their communities as safe as possible during the pandemic, we are thrilled to share that ROP is expanding our staff team of brilliant, experienced, dedicated, passionate people focused on building the rural movement for human dignity and justice! Many of you have […]
Read MoreFeeding Our Communities
The latest episode of Rural Roots Rising, ROP’s radio show and podcast, is available now! Listen to Feeding Our Communities to hear how Harry MacCormack in Benton County, OR and Martina Leforce in Madison County, KY are organizing to bring quality food access to their communities and adapting to meet the changing needs during this […]
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Building Rural Power: Coronavirus and Beyond!
There are many ways that the ROP network is actively organizing during Coronavirus. Around the state, rural leaders are creating systems of mutual support to get us through this pandemic and build power toward our long-term vision of dignity and justice for all! Member groups can access ROP’s Zoom account to host virtual meetings to […]
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Facing Coronavirus with Community
The impact of Coronavirus and the slow response to test, treat, and prevent the spread of this pandemic has been alarming. Countless stories of under-resourced hospitals turning potentially infected people away and prohibitively expensive testing (if you can even find one!) are on the news every night. Many Oregon families are struggling to figure out childcare […]
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Kitchen Table Activism: Budgets as Moral Documents
February 2020 Kitchen Table Activism: Budgets as Moral Documents WHY THIS ACTIVITY? Oregon has more millionaires than ever before, but we also have record-breaking rates of houselessness and poverty. How can we make sure that our tax dollars are going toward our priorities: funding services and infrastructure that serve our communities? As Dr. Martin […]
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Support Rural Justice in 2020 and Beyond
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” – Howard Zinn Dear friends and supporters of the Rural Organizing Project, This year we have seen how the small acts of thousands of everyday rural Oregonians can win crucial victories on the issues that impact our communities most. Thousands of us […]
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An Incredible Year with the ROP Fellows!
The inaugural year of the ROP Rural Organizing Fellowship has come to a close and we are amazed by the fellows’ passion, curiosity, and commitment to help their communities thrive. The fellows met for quarterly organizing retreats in different communities around the state to build a collective understanding of what our rural communities need and to strengthen […]
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ROP Staff Changes and Program Updates
Dear ROP Community, When I became involved in ROP just 3 years ago, I was thankful to be connected to people all across the state committed to ensuring human dignity for all. As Board Chair, I am honored to help lead ROP and to share some important news with you. Beginning December 1st, 2019, Jess […]
Read MoreRural Roots Rising: Coming to a Radio Station Near You!
We are excited to announce the launch of Rural Roots Rising, a monthly podcast created by and for rural Oregonians who are creatively and courageously building stronger and more vibrant communities for a just democracy! ROP has been hard at work interviewing organizers across the state who are building rural people’s power for human dignity […]
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IP43 is Disqualified!
We have fantastic news to share: the Secretary of State has disqualified IP43, the initiative petition that was an attempt to overturn our victory on the Driver’s Licenses for All bill (also known as HB 2015, The Equal Access to Roads Act) that passed the Oregon legislature earlier this year! Driver’s Licenses For All was passed […]
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Demystifying Budgets for Local Changemakers
“Budgets are moral documents.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We are living in the wealthiest moment in Oregon’s history, and yet more people are facing food and housing insecurity in our state than ever before. How can that be? Every community member has the right to play an active role in decisions about how our […]
Read MoreYes to Driver’s Licenses for All, No to IP43
On Friday thousands of Oregonians across the state rallied for a massive global climate strike. From Klamath Falls to Seaside, students and community members joined millions around the world in actions to demand an end to the age of fossil fuels. Rural and small town human dignity leaders continue to be a voice and moral […]
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Take Action to Defend Driver’s Licenses for All!
Our hard-fought victory of Driver’s Licenses for All is being threatened by the misleadingly named Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR). With our neighbors reeling or numbed by the onslaught of national news about the systematic mistreatment of asylum-seekers and migrants by the US government with our tax dollars, this moment calls on us to raise […]
Read MoreROP is Hiring a Finance and Operations Manager!
We are excited to announce that ROP is hiring a Finance and Operations Manager based out of Cottage Grove. Our ideal candidate will combine strong financial management and organizational operations oversight and is rooted in a personal commitment to racial and economic justice. Check out the job announcement below. We need your help to find the newest addition to our staff […]
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Building Alternatives through Rural Resourcefulness
Almost two months have passed since this year’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, but the words of our keynote speaker, Meredith Martin-Moats, are still echoing through our work. For those that weren’t able to join us in Cottage Grove on June 1st and for those who want to listen again, you can watch Meredith’s keynote speech here or […]
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Rural Oregon is Breaking the ICE
As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tears people from rural Oregon communities, rural Oregon is showing up and demanding an end to human concentration camps, detention, and deportation. At least 20 counties across the state in the last week have held vigil in parks, on street corners, and at city hall to demand the closure of […]
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Lights for Liberty Across Oregon
The outcry happening across the country in response to the horrific conditions in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are holding children and families begs the question: how will we, as people who care about human dignity and justice, make our opposition visible? On the heels of a landmark victory in the legislature to pass drivers […]
Read MoreStrengthening Rural Oregon’s Web
Over 140 rural organizers and community leaders from 25 counties convened on Friday, May 31st and Saturday, June 1st in Cottage Grove, OR for the 28th annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session! In this ROPnet, we share highlights from the weekend including the affordable housing tour, the city-wide art walk and a full day of […]
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Meet the 2019 ROP Board Slate!
Over the last year, human dignity leaders have led courageous work to defend justice in their home communities. Rural Oregonians have fiercely fought to end the detention of immigrants in our prisons and jails, community members defended our state sanctuary law, and leaders in Cottage Grove jumped into action and ultimately shut down a knife shop owned […]
Read MoreRural Organizing Fellows Working Hard Across Oregon!
Happy International Workers of the World Day! On this May Day, we wanted to celebrate the powerful work ROP’s Rural Organizing Fellows have been doing across Oregon to advance human dignity and democracy. Read on to learn more and meet the Fellows at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on June 1st! Today (May 1st) […]
Read MoreHelp wanted: ROP is hiring!
We are excited to announce that ROP is looking to hire! We are searching for a skilled and experienced community organizer in rural Oregon to support the exciting work our member groups are doing all over the state of Oregon! Check out the job announcement below! If you’ve always dreamed of having a ROP […]
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Ways to get involved this legislative session!
Through a lot of hard work over the past few cycles we have an Oregon legislature poised to pass some strong legislation this year. Multiple bills that benefit rural Oregon are getting hearings and are making their way through committees to the floor of the House and Senate. In this ROPnet, you will find updates […]
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From Rural Arkansas to Rural Oregon!
We are excited to announce the keynote speaker for this year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be rural and small-town organizer Meredith Martin-Moats of the McElroy House: Organization for Cultural Resources in Dardanelle, Arkansas! The 28th annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be Saturday, June 1st in Cottage Grove. Space is limited […]
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Organizing in Support of Driver’s Licenses
On Wednesday the Equal Access to Roads Act was introduced in the Oregon State Legislature. This bill, if passed, will give Oregonians access to a standard driver’s license regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. It will ensure that our immigrant community members–as well as survivors of domestic violence and others without access to proof […]
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Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on June 1st
This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be on Saturday, June 1st in Cottage Grove! Mark your calendars and talk to your group about getting registered in time for the early bird discount! For over 27 years, small town and rural organizers and community leaders from across Oregon have come together annually at the […]
Read MoreOrganizing in Response to NORCOR Court Ruling
Over the last two years, immigrants and refugees detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) inside the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility (NORCOR) and communities in the Gorge have been organizing to challenge the regional jail’s collaborative relationship with ICE. In addition, several community members in Wasco County and their attorneys sued NORCOR for violation of […]
Read MoreHate has no place in Cave Junction
On Saturday morning, January 5th, 2019, the community of Cave Junction woke up to discover “KKK” had been spray painted in bright red paint all over their town. Vehicles, homes, and businesses were covered, and weapons wrapped in a Don’t Tread On Me flag were found nearby, sparking fear and outrage. Neighbors immediately joined together […]
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Honoring a Year of Rural Organizing for Justice
As we close out another year, we invite you to reflect on the incredible work of human dignity groups across rural Oregon this past year. Thank you to all the courageous rural human dignity leaders that make this work possible. Make a year-end donation here to support organizing in rural communities in 2019 and beyond. […]
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Rural Oregon’s Unbreakable Resolve
December 17, 2018 Dear members, friends, and supporters of the Rural Organizing Project, We began the year with you, in the streets. We are proud that rural Oregonians showed up in record-breaking numbers in town after town to protest the attacks on our communities by the Trump administration. We salute that spirit of resistance. It […]
Read MoreJoin the Fight for Dignity at the Border
November 30, 2018 Dear ROPnet, This week thousands of migrants who traveled hundreds of miles on foot to assert their right to seek asylum were met at the US-Mexico border by the US military, armed militias, and tear gas. Instead of meeting the asylum seekers with the congressionally mandated opportunity to apply for asylum, the […]
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Rural Oregon Votes Values
November 14, 2018 Dear ROPnet, Since the last presidential election, folks across the nation have been organizing for the midterms and rural Oregon has been no exception. From ballot measures that threaten democracy to emerging progressive candidates, rural Oregonians rolled up our shirtsleeves and dug in. We connected with our neighbors and communities by knocking […]
Read More“Words may fail us, but actions cannot”
Like you, we are reeling from the latest violence that has rocked the country and the unconscionable rhetoric inspiring wave after wave of violence targeting communities of color, Jews, Muslims, LGBTQ+ folks, migrants, refugees, and folks engaged in political work. In the midst of escalating racist and xenophobic rhetoric about the caravan of refugees […]
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No on Measure 105 – Hometown Strategies for Action
10/25/18 Dear ROPnet, Ballots have reached our mailboxes and voters are having conversations with each other about the issues we face this election cycle. A crucial issue on this year’s ballot that has a lot of our neighbors talking is Ballot Measure 105. This measure, if passed, will divide our communities, promote fear, and […]
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Sheridan to NORCOR: 7 Days of Rural Action
October 12th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, With over 500 participants, covering 145 miles and marching over 30 miles, the Sheridan to NORCOR journeyers have returned to our home communities to carry forward the message of our march and to continue the work to end detention and deportation. We’re excited to share photos and stories about […]
Read MoreRural Oregonians Reject Oregonians for Immigration Reform and Ballot Measure 105
The Rural Organizing Project works to advance a progressive vision in Oregon’s rural communities. In our rural communities we help and depend on each other, as part of our survival, as part of our values. That’s why we were shocked to see Measure 105 on the ballot. By targeting immigrants it makes a direct attack […]
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Sheridan to NORCOR: Schedule and Press Statement
September 29th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, Sunday our journey begins! We look forward to seeing many of you this week for our 7-day march from Sheridan to NORCOR. Below you will find our schedule and press release. All are welcome to join us at events along the way. See you on Sunday in Sheridan for […]
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7 Days of Action: Journey Highlights
*Español abajo*September 20th, 2018Dear ROPnet,It’s nearly here! From Sept 30th – Oct 6th, over 100 people from around the state are on the move to join in the 7-day journey to create sanctuary everywhere and for all of us. Hundreds more are making plans to join us at stops along the way. Some are […]
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The Moment is Now: Why We March
September 17th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, From September 30th through October 6th, rural and small-town Oregonians from across the State are putting their lives on hold and their bodies in the street for a 7-day journey to demand an end to detention and deportation. We will walk, march and caravan from FCI Sheridan to NORCOR regional jail […]
Read MoreMeet the Rural Organizing Fellows!
We are excited to introduce you to our Rural Organizing Fellows! They will begin their work with us in October, joining ROP leaders, member groups, and allies at the final event of the Sheridan to NORCOR: journey to demand an end to detention and deportation on Saturday, October 6th in The Dalles. We hope they’ll […]
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The Power of Political Art in Rural Oregon
August 31st, 2018 Dear ROPnet, As rural Oregonians rise up around the state to demand an end to the detention and deportation of their family members, friends and neighbors, the combined creativity and power present in the signs, posters, t-shirts and other artwork brings beauty and clarity to our messages. Incorporating […]
Read MoreElectronic STAND Election Action Guides
Click here to download the full English PDF. Click here to download the full Spanish PDF. [pdf-embedder url=”https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/ROP_STANDguide_2018_English_FINAL.pdf”][pdf-embedder url=”https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/ROP_STANDguide_2018_Spanish_Final.pdf”]
Read MoreSheridan to NORCOR: A 7-day Journey to Demand an End to Detention and Deportation
Rural Organizing Project invites you to join: Sheridan to NORCOR: A 7-day journey to demand an end to detention and deportation Sunday, Sept 30 – Saturday, October 6th *Español abajo* For one week, rural Oregonians, members of faith communities, immigrant and long-time residents of our state will march together from Sheridan Federal Prison (FCI Sheridan) to […]
Read MoreReminder: Order STAND Election Action Guides Now!
August 17th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, As we head into election season, human dignity groups are already having powerful conversations about what it looks like to integrate an election action strategy into our ongoing organizing. We will not stop resisting the policies and practices that tear apart our communities, from the detention and deportation of our […]
Read MoreOrder your STAND Voter Guides
July 25th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, Last week we learned that IP 22 (now Measure 105) gathered enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. This measure will repeal Oregon’s 30-year sanctuary law, which prevents state resources like law enforcement from being used to enforce federal immigration law. An anti-immigrant group, Oregonians for Immigration Reform, has brought the […]
Read MoreCourage & Community for the Times Ahead
July 13th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, These past few weeks have been filled with bad news, and in times like these we must reach out, be with each other, and showup for our neighbors and the future of our communities. The 25+ actions across rural Oregon last week demonstrated that human dignity leaders are doing just […]
Read MoreHammond Pardon Emboldens the Militia & ‘Patriot’ Movement
July 11th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, On Tuesday, President Trump pardoned ranchers Dwight Hammond Jr and Steven Hammond, at the urging of Representative Greg Walden (R-OR). The father and son were imprisoned in 2012 for arson on public land in Harney County Oregon. They served an 18 month prison sentence. In 2015 they were then re-sentenced […]
Read MoreApply for the Rural Organizing Fellowship!
The Rural Organizing Fellowship Application is Due July 15! As we celebrate local victories in Springfield and Josephine County toward ending systems of detention and deportation, we are reminded that community organizing is as important as ever. And as we face news of the recent Supreme Court decisions, including the upholding of the third Muslim Ban and the dismantling […]
Read MoreOregon’s Rural Week of Action: Resisting Detention & Deportation
Join human dignity groups across the state and Rural Organizing Project for: Oregon’s Rural Week of Action: Resisting Detention and Deportation Join us during the week of July 4th to demand freedom for all immigrants! (See specific times and locations below) (Thanks to American Friends Service Committee for this image! You can download this and […]
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Rural Oregonians Resist Detention & Deportation!
June 26th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, In the wake of anti-democratic Executive Orders, where over 3000 children have been ripped away from their families at the border and 123 immigrants and refugees have been locked up in Sheridan federal prison in Yamhill County, rural Oregon is responding! Communities are taking action to end indefinite incarceration of […]
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Sunday Service at Sheridan
Dear friends of ROP, Yamhill County leadership and the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) will be holding a public worship service this Sunday morning, June 24, 2018 at 11:00am just outside the Sheridan Federal Prison. All are invited to join in solidarity with the 123 immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and […]
Read MoreRural Human Dignity Groups Rise!
June 19th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, Over this past year, human dignity groups across rural Oregon have been leading inspiring and visionary organizing. Just yesterday, Unidos Bridging Communities, in partnership with other local and statewide groups, organized a vigil with over 1,200 people at the federal prison in Sheridan. Groups from Yamhill, Marion, Polk, Deschutes, Linn, […]
Read MoreVigil at Sheridan Federal Prison to Resist ICE
In the last month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has torn hundreds of children away from their parents and placed both in separate detention facilities across the country. The sharp increase in the number of immigrants incarcerated has led ICE to turn to five federal prisons to house over 1,600 immigrants, including many seeking asylum. 123 immigrants and asylum […]
Read MoreStrength for the Year Ahead
Over 150 rural organizers and community leaders from 28 counties convened on May 18th, 19th, and 20th in The Dalles, OR for the 27th annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session! We started off the weekend with a Statewide Solidarity Action outside of NORCOR, the publicly funded jail that has a contract with Immigration and Customs […]
Read MoreRural Caucus & Strategy Session – this weekend!
May 17th, 2018 Dear ROP, The biggest weekend for ROP is almost here: rural Oregonians are converging in The Dalles to reflect, plan, and celebrate together at the annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session! If you have not registered yet and plan on coming, please register here so we can be sure to have enough […]
Read MoreAnnouncing the Rural Organizing Fellowship
Announcing the Rural Organizing Fellowship! The Rural Organizing Project is thrilled to announce that after 26 years of breaking rural isolation by supporting and bringing together thousands of small town and rural community leaders to organize for human dignity and social justice in their hometowns, we are launching the Rural Organizing Fellowship! We are seeking […]
Read MoreOrganizing victory – time to celebrate & strategize!
May 8th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, Did you hear the great news? NORCOR, the regional public jail located in The Dalles, just announced that they will no longer turn folks in the jail over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)! This victory was made possible by a year-long grassroots campaign by groups throughout Hood River, Wasco, […]
Read MoreOrganizing for dignity in Echo, population 706
Last fall, ROP was contacted when an Echo City Councilor posted violent, anti-LGBTQ slurs on social media directed at filmmaker Joe Wilson of “Kuma Hina” and “Out in the Silence” (you may remember Joe from our rural tour of “Out in the Silence” in 2010). Word traveled quickly about Councilor Lou Nakapalau’s social media rants […]
Read MoreMeet ROP’s newest staff!
We have experienced record-breaking organizing across rural Oregon over the last year in response to growing threats to democracy and human dignity; dozens of communities organized public actions for social justice for the first time, several counties organized their largest marches ever, and students and young people walked out of dozens of rural schools, some […]
Read MoreDrum roll please… the 2018 ROP Board Slate!
Over the last year, human dignity leaders have led courageous work in their home communities. Students have organized walkouts for school safety, leaders in the Gorge have fiercely supported hunger strikers inside their local regional jail demanding an end to the jail’s contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, groups across the state have incorporated rapid […]
Read MoreWe Gather for Justice: Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
April 3rd, 2018 Dear ROPnet, Every year rural and small town activists and organizers from across Oregon join together for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session. The Caucus is the day we share organizing from across the state, reflect on our previous year and make plans for our rural human dignity movements in the year […]
Read MoreResisting Neonazis in Cottage Grove
In Cottage Grove, a banner in an empty storefront that used to house a local museum announces a new business: Wolfclan Armory. The store, previously located in the neighboring community of Creswell, sells knives and survivalist gear, but more importantly has been used as a gathering place for neonazis across the I-5 corridor. It is […]
Read MoreRural Students Walkout for Safety
On March 14th, Maria from Culver High School joined 24 of her peers walking out. Maria shared, “To me the walkout meant a lot because in Culver speaking about gun control is very controversial, but we wanted to show that it wasn’t just about gun control — it was about the student’s lives lost, not […]
Read MoreIntroducing the newest member of Team ROP!
We are thrilled to introduce to you ROP’s newest staffer, Caroline Randall! Caroline is joining the ROP staff team as our Operations and Finance Coordinator, a new role focused on keeping ROP’s internal systems singing so our organizers and Co-Directors can focus on our member groups in this powerful moment of movement growth! Read on […]
Read MoreHealing through action
Demanding that their grief not be swept under the rug, powerful youth from Stoneman Douglas High School have inspired waves of bold student activism and organizing for change, including here in Oregon! In the wake of yet another mass shooting at a school, students across Oregon are organizing actions from walkouts to press conferences to […]
Read MoreROP is searching for our next organizer!
The Rural Organizing Project’s network of local, autonomous groups organizing for human dignity is growing and we are excited to expand our staff team of organizers to meet this moment! Hundreds of leaders across Oregon are bringing their neighbors into the movement for human dignity. ROP’s work supporting ordinary Oregonians organizing for the soul of […]
Read MoreMarching Again & Bigger Than Ever
On Saturday, January 20th, thousands took to the streets to mark the anniversary of historic protests against Trump’s inaugurations — and many were thrilled to see even bigger turnout this year! While marching and rallying for justice and democracy, many local organizers were surprised to see the faces of neighbors and friends who were demonstrating […]
Read MoreSave the date: Rural Caucus on May 19 in The Dalles!
January 29th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, Mark your calendars! This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be on Saturday, May 19th in The Dalles! We are planning a whole weekend of direct action, strategic conversations, and people’s movement assemblies kicking off Friday, May 18th and continuing through Sunday, May 20th. Join us for the main […]
Read MoreWe won 101, but the fight’s not over
January 25th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, We hope you’re finding a moment to celebrate the passage of Measure 101, an inspiring organizing victory made possible through thousands of conversations that cut through the anti-immigrant rhetoric and amplified what Measure 101 would do for rural Oregon! We are grateful to hear stories about folks reaching out to […]
Read MoreSilence is Betrayal: Action in Rural Oregon
January 12th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, At this time last year folks across rural Oregon were preparing to take to the streets to show our resolve, our righteous anger and our commitment to protecting each other in the days, months and years to come. From post-inauguration rallies and marches to events honoring the legacy of Dr. […]
Read MoreWe All Do Better When We All Do Better!
January 9th, 2018 Dear ROPnet, Here in rural Oregon we are no strangers to the right seizing power to slash budgets, privatize services, and fight for regressive economic policies that hurt the most vulnerable in our communities. With the Trump administration targeting and scapegoating immigrants and refugees, the door is open for these attacks to […]
Read MoreROP is Hiring an Operations Coordinator!
January 2, 2018 Dear ROPnet, Rural Organizing Project (ROP) is dedicated to creating communities that are accountable to a standard of human dignity: the belief in the equal worth of all people and the need for equal access to justice. We are a statewide organization of locally-based autonomous groups by and for small town and […]
Read MoreHonoring a Year of Organizing for Rural Justice!
As we close out another year, we invite you to reflect on the incredible work of human dignity groups across rural Oregon in 2017. Click here to make a tax deductible year-end donation to support organizing in rural communities. [pdf-embedder url=”https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/ROP-2017-Annual-Report.pdf” title=”ROP 2017 Annual Report”] In 2017, Rural Organizing Project reached across boundaries and borders […]
Read MoreCelebrate Rural Organizing for Justice: Support ROP Today!
Make a donation today to support justice in rural Oregon December 26th, 2017 Dear members, friends, and supporters of the Rural Organizing Project, It’s ROP’s 25th anniversary and time to both reflect on all we have accomplished together and get ready for our next quarter century. Today we’re asking you to show up for rural […]
Read MoreOrganizing and Dancing Together for Rural Justice!
December 19th, 2017 Dear ROPnet, As the year draws to a close, we are reflecting on all of the ways we have come together this year to survive, resist and build! On Saturday, December 2nd, 35 people from Benton, Columbia, Coos, Deschutes, Lane, Linn, Multnomah, Polk, Josephine, Union, Wasco, Washington, and Yamhill met at SEIU […]
Read MoreSmall Towns Fight for Measure 101!
December 21st, 2017 Dear ROPnet, Sometimes an election needs a rapid response. This is the case with Ballot Measure 101, a January 23rd Oregon special election that could decide the fate of Oregon’s rural health care system and medical coverage for over 300,000 people in our State. What is Measure 101? Since 2014, Oregon dollars […]
Read MoreAlabama Senate Victory Is A Rural Organizing Win!
Friday, December 15th, 2017 Dear ROPnet, The victory on Tuesday of Democrat Doug Jones in the Alabama Senate race over Roy Moore, a Republican accused of multiple counts of sexual assault and harassment, felt miraculous — but it wasn’t a miracle. A miracle is something that happens through luck or magic. This victory was nothing […]
Read MoreROP is hiring an Operations Coordinator
Rural Organizing Project (ROP) is dedicated to creating communities accountable to a standard of human dignity: the belief in the equal worth of all people and the need for equal access to justice. We are a statewide organization of locally-based autonomous groups by and for small town and rural Oregonians since 1992. We are on the search for a full-time Operations […]
Read MoreTax Scam Leaves Rural Oregon Behind
Friday, December 8th, 2017 Dear ROPnet, Last Friday afternoon, while most Oregonians were doing the dishes and putting their kids to bed, Senate Republicans in DC released the final draft of a nearly 500-page tax bill. Members of Congress had just a few hours to skim the surface of the bill and its hand-written edits […]
Read MorePut on your dancing shoes! Join ROP on Dec 2nd!
Join Rural Organizing Project on Saturday, December 2nd at 6pm in Portland to celebrate our collective resistance and resilience!(Traducción en Español abajo) You won’t want to miss this shin-dig! Join us for a party featuring…. A live bluegrass folk band A pie auction where you can bid on sweet treats like the Hood River Apple […]
Read MoreHunger Strike Victory!
Sunday, November 5th, 2017 Dear ROPnet, On Wednesday, 19 immigrants and refugees detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in The Dalles went on hunger strike to amplify their demands for humane conditions inside of the Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facility (NORCOR). After four days without food, the hunger strikers in NORCOR have paused their […]
Read MoreImmigrants on Hunger Strike Retaliated Against in Rural Jail
19 immigrants and refugees detained at a public county jail in The Dalles went on hunger strike Wednesday morning, demanding nutritious meals, family visitation, cheaper phone calls, cheaper commissary for hygiene products and food to supplement the unhealthy meals they are provided, and access to a stocked library and recreation yard. This is the second […]
Read MoreJoin ROP Dec 2nd – Resistance & Resilience!
Join ROP on December 2nd to Celebrate 25 Years of Organizing for Justice in Rural Oregon! (Traducción en Español abajo) 2017 marks 25 years of the Rural Organizing Project! Here at ROP, we believe 25 years is reason enough to call together our network. We are in a moment that has been engineered to marginalize […]
Read MoreSouth Coast Speaks from the Heart
As crisis becomes a daily reality for so many, rural organizers and activists have been reaching out to their neighbors and searching for ways to keep each other safe. As we learn how to have the backs of those who are most impacted in this moment, let us listen to and draw from the stories […]
Read MoreStories from the Road! Rural Actions for Immigrant Fairness
Rural Oregonians have been responding to the attacks on our immigrant neighbors and family members by taking action, organizing our communities, and opening challenging and necessary conversations about what our communities need for every person to truly feel safe. There seems to be constant news about anti-immigrant rants from the White House and new punitive […]
Read MoreICE Observer Webinar, Update on DACA & ICE!
Last week, several national immigrant rights organizations publicly released leaked information that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) planned mass raids aiming to detain between 6,000-10,000 immigrants during a two week period in September. As soon as the information hit national news, the Department of Homeland Security announced that operation was canceled due to hurricanes Harvey […]
Read MoreWe are gonna fight ’til this is right
Today, Attorney Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump administration will be ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program within six months. During his speech, Sessions managed to promote just about every ugly stereotype you can imagine about our immigrant neighbors. From the events in Charlottesville, to the pardoning of Joe Arpaio, and this […]
Read MoreRural Oregon shows up with Charlottesville
In the days following the horrific violence by the white nationalists who descended on Charlottesville, VA, rural Oregonians gathered with their neighbors in action, remembrance, and commitment to the work ahead of us. From towns as small as 500 people to the largest cities in the state, communities chose to confront fear with courage, heart, […]
Read MoreFrom Oregon to Charlottesville
Like you, we are disturbed, angered, and grieving after torch-wielding white nationalists descended on Charlottesville, VA last weekend, killing one, injuring many, and threatening hundreds who showed up for human dignity and justice. As one rural leader told us, “I feel that if there was a white nationalist rally happening here, all of the […]
Read MoreHost Architecture of Internment in your town!
At this year’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, folks from across the state were stunned when they learned about their community’s history from Architecture of Internment: The Build-up to Wartime Incarceration, an exhibit created by Graham Street Productions that illustrates the lead-up to Japanese internment during WWII in original letters and headlines from that time. Architecture of […]
Read MoreAnnouncing “Know your Rights” and “Know your Roles”
(Traducción en Español abajo) In response to our members’ desire to work more closely on immigration issues, ROP is introducing new workshops on “Know your Rights” and “Know your Roles”! We are encouraging you to host both, but you can choose either one! Email Keyla at keyla@rop.org to register! In this moment, our neighbors and […]
Read MoreOrganizing puts jail working with ICE into hotseat!
After months of deeply committed organizing for immigrant fairness in the Gorge, including immigrants inhumanely detained at NORCOR (Northern Oregon Regional Correctional facility in The Dalles) going on hunger strike, Gorge ICE Resistance and the brave hunger strikers inside the jail have one more victory to celebrate! Several taxpayers from the Gorge have filed a […]
Read MoreTaxpayer Lawsuit Challenges Use of Oregon Jail for Immigration Detention
Taxpayer Lawsuit Challenges Use of Oregon Jail for Immigration Detention Oregon law expressly forbids public resources to be used for federal immigration detention THE DALLES, Ore.—A lawsuit filed today by several Oregon taxpayers is challenging the use of a publicly funded jail to detain non-citizens on behalf of the federal government. For the past 30 […]
Read MoreCreating a Culture of Safety & Security
In rural Oregon, we know how the Right hopes to control our communities through the politics of fear and rejection. For 25 years, ROP has supported rural communities combating the dehumanization and marginalization of our neighbors, including when the Right’s crosshairs have been focused on LGBTQ folks, Jews, immigrants, Muslims, and other all-too-convenient scapegoats. […]
Read MorePresenting the Marcy Westerling Award!
June 28th, 2017 Dear ROPnet, Every year, the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session provides countless opportunities for rural Oregonians do what we do best–story telling! On Saturday June 3rd, more than 160 activists gathered at the Madras United Methodist Church in Central Oregon. We made time throughout the day to celebrate and share stories of […]
Read MoreMeet ROP’s summer intern, coming to a town near you!
June 20th, 2017 Dear ROPnet, We would like to introduce you to ROP’s summer organizing intern: Emma Ronai-Durning! If you participated in this year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session, you likely saw Emma hard at work helping manage logistics for a smooth event. What you might not know is that the Caucus was Emma’s fifth […]
Read MoreROP Caucus at 25: Bigger and Radder Than Ever!
This year is ROP’s 25th anniversary and guess how we’ve been celebrating? With the largest Rural Caucus & Strategy Session in ROP’s history! On Saturday, June 3rd, over 160 people representing 31 of Oregon’s 36 counties gathered for a day of making connections with peers across the state while strategizing, visioning, and building our movement […]
Read MoreWhat do we do when our communities are under attack? Show up, fight back!
May 19th, 2017 Dear ROPnet, This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session in Madras on the weekend of June 3rd is shaping up to to be one for the record books! We have an incredible line-up of inspiring and brilliant keynote speakers, workshops, and strategy sessions, followed by the Rural Organizing Institute on Sunday. Join […]
Read MoreDrum roll please! The ROP Board slate
May 4th, 2017 Dear ROPnet, There’s much happening around Oregon and the country right now. All ROP staff are currently in The Dalles supporting Gorge ICE Resistance, a growing local coalition of groups throughout the Columbia Gorge, that are supporting courageous hunger strikers inside of NORCOR, a county jail that is illegally detaining immigrants. We […]
Read MoreHunger strike victory – and more action to come!
On Saturday, several immigrant detainees in The Dalles went on hunger strike to amplify their demands for humane conditions inside of the Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facility (NORCOR) alongside the hunger strikers in the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. After six days without food, the hunger strikers in NORCOR have ended their strike (for […]
Read MoreWill 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 […]
Read MoreWar is Not The Answer
April 7th, 2017 Dear ROPnet, During the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, human dignity leaders showed up to be the voice of reason. We held vigils, rallies and town halls to ask: what is the Co$t of War to our communities? We wrote letters to members of Congress. We published op-eds and […]
Read MoreRegister for the Caucus: Resist for the long haul!
Come to the 2017 Rural Caucus And Strategy Session in Madras, Oregon on June 3rd & 4th. *Register by April 15th for our early bird discount!* WHY THIS ACTIVITY? Coming out of this past election and inauguration, we were propelled into action. A force was coming at us and we didn’t know how bad it […]
Read MoreYouth Lead the Way in Rural Oregon
Please join us in welcoming the new Jefferson County human dignity group to the ROP family! Two weeks ago, nearly 50 people from across Jefferson County filled the Madras library annex for the group’s first official meeting. Every seat in the room was taken by members of the Teen Book Club, supportive parents and teachers, […]
Read MoreWhere’s Walden? Taking away our healthcare.
Friday, March 10th, 2017 Dear ROP Friend, For years, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the USA has been medical bills. However, since the Affordable Care Act was activated in 2014, 20 million Americans have been able to afford health insurance, many for the first time in their lives. The law isn’t perfect. In […]
Read MoreRogue Valley Resists
Between the daily headlines about the Trump agenda, and the incredible mobilizations of resistance that are forming in response, we are in an astounding political moment. Folks across Oregon are savoring marching, rallying, and trying to figure out “Where’s Walden?”, and many are hungry for ways to publicly resist that are fun and reach beyond […]
Read MoreWelcome to ROP’s newest organizer!
March 1, 2017 Dear ROPnet, I am thrilled to introduce you to ROP’s newest organizer, Hannah Harrod! Some of you might have already met Hannah through her contract work at ROP to help pull together two contingents of rural Oregonians who went to Standing Rock. Not only did Hannah excel in that work, her ability […]
Read MoreResistance & Resilience: the 2017 Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
For 25 years, community leaders, activists, and organizers from rural communities and small towns across Oregon have come together at the annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session to reflect on the previous year and to plan for the year ahead. This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be on Saturday, June 3rd in Madras. On Sunday, […]
Read MoreAction Alert! Renters’ rights across Oregon
“What can we do now in order to be able to do tomorrow what we are unable to do today?” – Paulo Friere During this legislative session, hundreds of decisions will be made that impact the lives of rural and small town Oregonians. From deciding funding priorities and what to cut to balance the state […]
Read MoreRural Oregon Stands With Standing Rock
Much is happening out at Standing Rock right now. Drilling under the Missouri River has begun, and Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II recently told reporters that he landed in Washington DC en route to meet with the Trump administration to learn that the Army Corp of Engineers granted an easement that allowed for […]
Read MoreInspiring rural resistance, and more to come!
Last weekend was inspirational! Over the inauguration weekend, millions of people around the globe took to the streets to publicly demonstrate our commitment to human dignity, justice, and inclusion over the politics of fear and division. Oregon was no exception, with dozens of marches and rallies across the state, led by seasoned organizers and […]
Read MoreThe fight for immigrant rights
This weekend hundreds, if not thousands, of people are going to come together in Salem for the United for Immigrant Rights March & Rally. Oregonians from across the state will join in this national day of action to declare our commitment to becoming a welcoming and inclusive state, and to working together to respond to […]
Read MoreTo Standing Rock from Rural Oregon
January 8th, 2016 Dear ROPnet, Last month, the water protectors at Standing Rock celebrated an unprecedented victory when the US Army denied the permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross the Missouri River. This partial but critical victory, along with a brutal blizzard marking the beginning of a particularly harsh North Dakota winter, changed […]
Read MoreCelebrating Rural Resistance & Justice
As we close out another year, we invite you to celebrate all that we have accomplished together over the last year. We share a snapshot of successes across rural Oregon below. Thank you to all the courageous rural human dignity leaders that make this work possible. Visit our webpage to make a year-end donation and […]
Read MoreOrganizing for Rural Justice in 2016 & Beyond
Make a donation today to support justice in rural Oregon December 23rd, 2016 Dear members, friends, and supporters of the Rural Organizing Project, ROP’s work supporting communities on the frontlines of militia and paramilitary organizing, and our almost 25 years supporting human dignity groups organizing for justice and democracy, have built our reputation as an […]
Read MoreUpdate on ROP Solidarity with Standing Rock
December 9th, 2016 Last month, rural and small town leaders within the ROP network came together to plan how rural Oregon can best stand in solidarity with water protectors and Native leadership organizing at Standing Rock. Thousands of indigenous and non-Native allies from across the continent had come together at Standing Rock to stand up […]
Read MoreSupport Rural Oregonians Traveling to Standing Rock
Like many of you, we are knee-deep in thinking about how we best defend the most vulnerable in our communities. We are supporting dozens of rural Oregonians across the state responding to threats, vandalism, and harassment in light of the election results. After hearing from teachers across rural Oregon that bullying and harassment is making […]
Read MoreRural Oregon stands with Standing Rock – join us!
Rural and urban Oregonians alike are transfixed by what is happening out at Standing Rock. In the midst of an ugly and disempowering presidential election, we are bearing witness to a fight for the self-determination of the people of Standing Rock who are, along with thousands of indigenous and non-native allies from across the continent, […]
Read MoreNov. 16th: Dispatch from the Frontlines Event
Dear friends of Rural Organizing Project, You are invited! Join us for: Dispatch from the Frontlines: Oregon’s Patriot Movement, the Acquittal of the Bundy Bunch, and Discussion in Connection to Standing Rock, Black Lives Matter, and the Overall Quest for Social Justice. Wednesday, November 16th 6:30-8:30pm SEIU Local 503 * Ballroom 6401 SE Foster Rd, […]
Read MoreSolidarity with Standing Rock
Over the last few weeks human dignity group leaders across the state have been exchanging information, holding events, and contacting ROP, looking for ways to stand in solidarity with rural and indigenous people who are under attack in North Dakota. We are heartbroken and incensed that the courageous water protectors in North Dakota are being […]
Read MoreRural Oregon deserves better
Many of us across Oregon are reeling after the acquittal of the Bundys and some of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupiers. How can seven people who orchestrated a 41-day armed standoff that held an entire community hostage be acquitted, especially on the same day over 100 indigenous water protectors in North Dakota were […]
Read MoreROP is growing – help us find our next organizer!
Dear ROP family and supporters, The Rural Organizing Project is in the midst of exciting times! Our network of local, autonomous groups organizing for human dignity is growing, hundreds of leaders are bringing their neighbors into the movement during this historic moment for racial justice, and ROP’s cutting edge work supporting ordinary Oregonians counter-organizing on […]
Read MoreIntroducing ROP’s New Organizer!
[ROPNET] Introducing ROP’s New Organizer! Jessica Campbell – Rural Organizing Project Yesterday, 12:36 AMYou Forward this message to a friend. October 20, 2016 Dear ROPnetters, It is with great enthusiasm that I introduce you to ROP’s newest staff organizer, Grace Warner! Grace has been on staff the last few weeks, putting her incredible skill and […]
Read MoreROP’s 2016 STAND Voter Guide
ROP STAND Voter Guide English (pdf) ROP STAND Guía Electoral Español (pdf) Read on for our featured articles including: What Kind of Future Do You Want? Confronting fear, reclaiming hope this election season Welcome to Our 2016 Voting Guide Let’s Reclaim Democracy Oregon Ballot Measures: Do these measures uphold democracy and rebuild communities? A Rural Oregon that Works for All […]
Read MoreBeyond Burns: Tour Reflections
We wrapped up our statewide tour of Beyond Burns: the Growing Patriot Movement last week with two more engaging and energizing stops in Wallowa and Union Counties! As we dug into the research and tools we’ve compiled in Up In Arms: A Guide to Oregon’s Patriot Movement, both communities began connecting the dots between what […]
Read MoreBeyond Burns: Convos in Eastern Oregon
We are on the last leg of our tour, traveling through the high desert and pine forests of Eastern Oregon. We love it out here! On Friday and Saturday we visited Grant and Baker Counties where community members packed the rooms to learn about the impacts of the Patriot movement statewide and within their own communities. We are visiting with […]
Read MoreBeyond Burns: Dispatch from Central Oregon
We are six stops into our tour around the state on “Beyond Burns: the Growing Patriot Movement in Oregon.” We’ve been to St. Helens, Albany, Eugene, Medford, Grants Pass, and Bend. Each stop has had over 50 participants anxious to dig into the political and economic roots of the Patriot movement, how this movement […]
Read MoreBeyond Burns: Report from Rural Oregon!
We are three events into our statewide tour of “Beyond Burns: the Growing Patriot Movement in Oregon” and the response has been overwhelming. At every stop, we have packed the room! Over 50 people from Columbia County joined us on Thursday to learn more about the economic and political roots of the “Patriot” movement in […]
Read MoreBeyond Burns: the Growing Patriot Movement
We are thrilled to announce that the Rural Organizing Project is hitting the road! We are travelling around the state for the next two weeks to share our research, analysis, and organizing strategies gleaned from the last 18 months of working with frontline communities in response to the Patriot movement. Join us for an event […]
Read MoreTemperatures are Rising
This is an email alert to our friends and supporters about a new round of violence and intimidation in rural communities in Oregon. Courageous leaders in Douglas and Josephine Counties have been threatened by members of the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters for feeding the hungry, memorializing the Black lives lost to police violence, […]
Read MoreTeach-in on the Militia Movement in Oregon
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Read MoreROP is hiring an Operations Coordinator
Rural Organizing Project (ROP) is dedicated to creating communities accountable to a standard of human dignity: the belief in the equal worth of all people and the need for equal access to justice. We are a statewide organization of locally-based autonomous groups and was founded by and for small town and rural Oregonians in 1991. We are on the […]
Read MoreHelp ROP find our next organizer!
Organizing in rural communities is one of the most rewarding and challenging organizing vocations we know of. We are on the search for rural organizers to join our team at a crucial time for small towns, our state and our country. Do any of these questions describe you or someone you know? Do you have […]
Read MoreFrom Orlando to Cottage Grove: Building Beloved Community
Like you, we are grieving, shocked, and heartbroken by the shooting at an Orlando LGBT nightclub on Latinx night. The grief is compounded by the news of a hate crime late Saturday night in rural Oregon. A young gay man was brutally assaulted in Cottage Grove, his attacker repeatedly referring to his sexuality during the beating. Thankfully […]
Read MoreRural Organizing Institute
Thank you for joining us for our first Rural Organizing Institute on May 15, 2016 in Bend! You’ll find all handouts and materials distributed below. Feel free to reach out to Jess at jessica@rop.org with any questions! Racial Justice Train-the-Trainer Organizer and trainer extraordinaire Carla Wallace will break down the steps and tools needed to […]
Read MoreRemembering Marcy Westerling
June 10, 2016 Dear ROPnetters, One year ago today ROP’s beloved Founder, Marcy Westerling, passed away. Her five and a half year battle with Stage IV ovarian cancer was shared so publicly, exposing people across the country to the injustices of our medical system as she organized with fellow cancer warriors. Marcy was a visionary. […]
Read MoreFrom the ’90s to now: who speaks for rural Oregon?
May 26, 2016 Dear ROPnetters, By popular demand, we are proud to share the talk long-time human dignity group leader and ROP volunteer Mike Edera gave at ROP’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on May 14th. In it Mike connects the dots between the politics of the ’90s and today, while also naming Oregon’s decades-long […]
Read MoreGrowing Beloved Community in the Times of Fear & Division
WOW! Well over 130 folks came together from across the state to cheer each other on, to break the isolation so many of us feel working for justice in our small towns, and to strategize about how we can build power together as a state. It was a powerful and inspiring weekend! One of […]
Read MoreBuilding Our Shared Leadership: ROP Announces Co-Directors
Dear ROP Family, I am writing to tell you about a recent decision of the ROP board. We are very excited and pleased to announce that we have changed the staff structure at ROP and that Cara Shufelt and Jessica Campbell are now serving as co-directors of our dynamic organization! ROP is constantly seeking ways […]
Read MoreA Chance to Re-Energize, Strategize & Organize!
We are counting the days until our favorite weekend of the year, the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session! Over 100 leaders from across rural and small town Oregon are already registered and we have a great team of trainers and organizers joining us to lead sessions. The Rural Caucus & Strategy Session is about more than […]
Read MoreAre you registered for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session?
Dear friends of ROP, Are you registered for The Rural Caucus and Strategy Session and the Rural Organizing Institute in Bend on May 14th and 15th? You are invited to join us! Will we see you there? Click here to register online! Or copy and paste the registration form below and email it to sara@rop.org. […]
Read MoreAnnouncing our Rural Caucus keynote speaker!
This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session’s theme is Who Speaks for Rural Oregon? We will convene as rural organizers, activists, and community leaders in beautiful Bend to reflect and strategize around how our organizing can elevate our collective voice for justice. Click here to register! We are thrilled to announce this year’s keynote speaker will be Carla Wallace, an awe-inspiring […]
Read MoreSuccess! Rural Oregonians show up for racial justice!
April 21, 2016 Dear ROPnetters, Wow! Over the last two weeks, more than 550 rural Oregonians showed up for “Why Aren’t There More Black People In Oregon?: A Hidden History,” presented by Walidah Imarisha. From Cave Junction to Cottage Grove to Monmouth, and then La Grande to Prineville to Scappoose, crowds of 65 to over […]
Read MoreGunning for Office: Oregon’s Patriot Movement and the May 2016 Primary
Thank you Mike Edera – longtime human dignity group leader, ROP volunteer, and strategist – for this introduction: Fascism is an over-used word. We tend to think of fascists as “mean people we don’t like”, but actually Fascism is a political movement with a specific function. It goes back to Italy in the years right […]
Read MoreTomorrow! Why Aren’t There More Black People In Oregon?
April 15, 2016 Dear friends, Don’t miss this exciting event! You’re invited to participate in the conversation project “Why Aren’t There More Black People In Oregon?: A Hidden History,” presented and facilitated by author and educator Walidah Imarisha. Have you ever wondered why the Black population in Oregon is so small? Oregon has a history […]
Read MoreWill we see you at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session?
Dear friends of ROP, The Rural Caucus and Strategy Session is the biggest day of the year for ROP – it is when the entire statewide network of rural organizers and community leaders come together to share stories and skills, build relationships and analysis, and advance plans to strengthen the movement for democracy and justice […]
Read MoreDrum roll please… the 2016 ROP Board Slate!
April 15th, 2016 Dear ROPnet, Every year we introduce the current slate of those who have stepped forward to serve on the Board of Directors of the ROP. The Board meets throughout the year on weekends, hosted by different human dignity groups who also feed and house us. Our Board of Directors is made up […]
Read MoreThe Kind of Oregon We All Deserve
This week, hundreds of rural Oregonians are coming together to discuss history, power and racial justice through the small town tour of “Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?: A Hidden History”. Friday night, after over 75 people came together at the Cottage Grove Public Library for the powerful program, several people were surveilled, harassed and threatened for their participation […]
Read MoreWhy Aren’t There More Black People In Oregon?: A Hidden History
It’s time! This week ROP in partnership with Oregon Humanities kicks off our second rural tour of the conversation project “Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?: A Hidden History,” presented and facilitated by organizer and educator Walidah Imarisha. Starting tomorrow, the tour will travel to the communities of Cave Junction, Cottage Grove, Monmouth, La Grande, Prineville, and Scappoose. Scroll down […]
Read MoreRegister for the Caucus! Who speaks for rural Oregon?
April-May 2016 Kitchen Table Activism: Rural Caucus & Strategy Session Register today for ROP’s annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on Saturday, May 14th (and Sunday, May 15th) in Bend! Join ROP rural organizers and leaders and unite our voices and strengthen our movement for justice in Oregon. WHY THIS ACTIVITY? This year’s theme for […]
Read MoreRural Oregon speaks out!
Last week was a whirlwind of resistance from across the state! Across Oregon, thousands of people have taken the streets to tell paramilitaries and militia groups to leave Harney County, including 350 folks outside of the Harney County Courthouse who chanted a simple message to the militia occupying their community: you are not our voice! […]
Read More#OregonStandoff: it’s far from over
Scroll down for details on local actions on Saturday, Jan 30th & Sunday, Jan. 31st Friday, January 29, 2016 As I write this, four people continue to occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, one of the leaders of the occupation is dead, and a call to action has been issued by the Pacific Patriots Network […]
Read MoreROP Statement on Day of Action in Solidarity with Harney County and Burns Paiute Tribe
Click here for details on local actions around the state. STATEWIDE DAY OF ACTION: END THE OCCUPATION OF HARNEY COUNTY Contacts: Jessica Campbell, Organizing Director, Rural Organizing Project: 541-999-8144 Cara Shufelt, Director, Rural Organizing Project: 503-349-3918 January 29th, 2016 The Rural Organizing Project is coordinating a statewide Day of Action in Solidarity with the people of Harney County […]
Read MoreUpdate on Harney County and Taking Action
January 27th, 2016 Dear ROPnet, Last night, eight leaders of the armed takeover at Malheur Wildlife Refuge were arrested outside of Burns en route to a meeting in Grant County dedicated to setting up a shadow county government the way they had attempted in Harney County. One of the occupiers was killed during the confrontation […]
Read MoreTaking Action in Solidarity with Harney County on Jan 30th
January 27th, 2016 Last night, eight leaders of the armed takeover at Malheur Wildlife Refuge were arrested outside of Burns en route to a meeting in Grant County dedicated to setting up a shadow county government the way they had attempted in Harney County. One of the occupiers was killed during the confrontation with police. […]
Read MoreFree Occupied Burns!
Day of Action across Oregon on Saturday, January 30th! Click here for updated information on the Day of Action and resources for planning a local event The armed occupation of Malheur Wildlife Refuge has gone on too long. One day was too long, and now it’s three weeks and counting. It’s time to show our […]
Read MoreAction in Solidarity with Harney County
Join ROP and human dignity groups to take action in support of the people of Harney County. Scroll down to read more! January 14th, 2016 If you have been following the headlines as the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge unfolds, you could come away with the sense that Harney County is divided. […]
Read MoreROP Statement on the Occupation in Harney County
January 7th, 2016 As events continue to unfold at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, we invite you to share this statement from the Rural Organizing Project with your local press and folks in your community. We will continue to post frequent updates on our Facebook page. Click here to find more updates, […]
Read More#OregonUnderAttack: Update on Harney County
January 5th, 2016 Rural Oregon has been making national news after militia and “patriot” groups from across the country descended on Harney County and led to the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County. For weeks brave Harney County residents have repeatedly and publicly asked for militia and “patriot” groups to not […]
Read MoreWhere Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? Annual Letter 2015
“Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community?” – Martin Luther King, Jr. December 2015 Dear Friends of the Rural Organizing Project, Dr. King’s quote points to the dilemma and the key question that ROP and our members keep asking each other and our neighbors. The temperature is rising in rural communities in Oregon, […]
Read MoreROP is hiring an Organizer!
Rural Organizing Project JOB ANNOUNCEMENT Organizer Rural Organizing Project (ROP) is a statewide organization of locally-based autonomous groups that work to create communities accountable to a standard of human dignity: the belief in the equal worth of all people, the need for equal access to justice, and the right to self-determination. ROP was founded by […]
Read MoreStand with ROP against threats and intimidation
ROP is facing escalating harassment and intimidation. Please stand with us! We are all watching in horror as the media helps Donald Trump to introduce racist and xenophobic ideas into the mainstream political debate. For some time now here in rural Oregon, we have experienced the ugly underbelly of this rising right wing with the […]
Read MoreMarcy Westerling Memorial webpage
Marcy Westerling Living Legacy Memorial Celebration Webpage December 3, 2015 Dear ROPnet, Last weekend, this beautiful bench was placed at Marcy Westerling’s grave site. Marcy, our founder, started the Rural Organizing Project in 1992. As most of you know, Marcy died in June of this year, and on August 23rd, we celebrated her life and […]
Read MoreHow many more divisions can we bear?
Like you, we are grieving, shocked, and heartbroken by the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg last week. The senseless killing of students and an instructor on their campus, attending their classes, has left every Oregonian reeling, asking, why did this happen? More importantly, all of us are asking, how do we respond? As […]
Read MoreMarcy Westerling Living Legacy Memorial Celebration
August 19th, 2015 Dear Friends, This Sunday, August 23rd, ROP will host the Marcy Westerling Living Legacy Memorial Celebration to grieve our loss and celebrate Marcy’s life with sorrow and love. We invite you to join us for a service, community reception and dance party. RSVPs appreciated. Details for the event are below. We also […]
Read MoreAugust 23rd: Marcy Westerling Living Legacy Memorial Celebration
Marcy Westerling Living Legacy Memorial Celebration Sunday, August 23rd, 2015 3:00pm Portland, Oregon Dear friends, family, colleagues, and fellow organizers for social justice, You are invited to the Marcy Westerling Living Legacy Memorial Celebration on Sunday, August 23rd at 3pm at 1st Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th Ave., Portland, OR Please RSVP here. Marcy was […]
Read MorePatriot Movement Paramilitaries in Oregon
Patriot Movement Paramilitaries in Oregon Spencer Sunshine, PhD, Associate Fellow at Political Research Associates This is an expanded version of a talk given at the Rural Organizing Project’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session in Woodburn, Oregon on June 13, 2015. The Patriot Movement: From Posse Comitatus to the Oath Keepers In April 2015, armed right-wing […]
Read MoreMarcy Westerling Living Legacy Memorial Celebration
Hold the Date Marcy Westerling Living Legacy Memorial Celebration Sunday, August 23rd, 2015 Portland, Oregon Dear Friends, Marcy Westerling was a powerful force: a visionary organizer, movement leader, cancer warrior, friend, partner, mentor and an inspiration to many. From the living rooms of small town Oregon to the halls of the medical industrial complex, Marcy […]
Read MoreVisionary and Fierce: the 2015 Caucus!
June 29th, 2015 Just over two weeks ago, over 120 rural and small town leaders convened at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session hosted by PCUN, Oregon’s farm worker union and one of ROP’s longest allies. Together we honored the spirit of ROP’s founder Marcy Westerling through song and diving deep into bold, innovative, exciting […]
Read MoreA Day to Celebrate Dignity & Justice!
June 26th, 2015 Dear ROPnet, Today will go down in the history books as a momentous victory for justice and dignity. It took thousands of people and decades to build the political power that has led to the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same sex marriage in every state. Today is a day to […]
Read MoreRacism is NOT welcome in Oregon!
This is an action alert! The Oregon Republican Party and Oregonians for Immigration Reform (a recognized hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center) are hosting Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Saturday, June 27th for fundraisers and a rally at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem. Sheriff Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona has become the national […]
Read MoreIn Solidarity and Mourning
June 20th, 2015 Dear ROPnetters, Last weekend at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session, we discussed in depth the moment we are in; a moment of great hope and inspiration as the movement builds for Black Lives Matter, but also acknowledging that there is a growing counter-movement and potential for backlash. For many, the killing […]
Read MoreHonoring Marcy Westerling’s Legacy
June 16th, 2015 Dear Friends of ROP, There are so many of us who have been touched by ROP’s Founder, Marcy Westerling, who died of ovarian cancer on June 10th, 2015. A fierce organizer, a visionary and a movement leader, Marcy brought many of us into justice work or inspired us to lead in our […]
Read MoreIn Memory of Marcy Westerling
Marcy Westerling March 25, 1959 – June 10, 2015 Marcy Westerling, a long-time community organizer with a passion for justice who founded the Rural Organizing Project, died late June 10th in her home in outer southeast Portland amidst the flowering gardens she loved so well, in the devoted care of her husband Mike Edera, family, […]
Read MoreRural Caucus & Strategy Session – this weekend! Details inside
June 10th, 2015 Dear ROPers and friends, Our big weekend is almost here! We cannot wait to be in the same room, strategizing, celebrating, and reflecting alongside you and your group! If you have not registered yet, please do so ASAP so we have enough meals and materials for everyone! A limited number of scholarships […]
Read MoreOrganizing lessons from Linn County
Today we would like to share with you the incredible story of how Linn County leaders went from hosting an event to helping form a multigenerational and multiracial group who, in the face of hate activity, led their community in action and response! Community Action for Racial Equity (CARE)’s work is sure to inspire […]
Read MoreWhen our communities are under attack… Stand up, fight back!
May 27th, 2015 Dear ROPers, This year’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session is going to be special! Not only will we have a beautiful (hopefully!) summer-like weekend to be together in Woodburn at the always inspiring PCUN Union Hall, but we’ve got an incredible lineup of activities and strategy sessions for the entire weekend of […]
Read MoreOath Keepers stand down and choose next target
We wrote you on May 7th to tell you about right wing and militia groups from across the country converging in Josephine County for an armed standoff with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over what was in reality a matter of paperwork. After over a month of armed encampments, threats to BLM employees, intimidation […]
Read MoreDrum roll please… the 2015 ROP Board Slate!
May 19th, 2015 Dear ROPnetters: Every year we introduce the current slate of those who have stepped forward to serve on the Board of Directors of the ROP. The Board meets throughout the year on weekends, hosted by different human dignity groups who also feed and house us. Our Board of Directors is made up […]
Read MoreThey are the Oath Keepers, we are the Peace Makers
One evening a couple weeks ago, I received a call from a human dignity group leader in Josephine County: “ROP! Help!” The Oath Keepers of Josephine County, a local chapter of a national right-wing organization that recruits police, military, and others to “uphold their oath to the Constitution” and to refuse any orders that violate […]
Read MoreA Chance to Re-Energize, Strategize & Organize!
April 24th, 2015 Dear ROPnet, Every year rural and small town activists and organizers come together for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session, a day to share incredible organizing from across the state, reflect on our last year and make plans for our rural human dignity movement in the year ahead. This year’s Caucus looks […]
Read MoreThe Road to Ferguson – Conversations with Suzanne Pharr
April 21st, 2015 Dear ROPnetters, The Rural Organizing Project is thrilled to be bringing movement strategist Suzanne Pharr to Oregon next week to facilitate conversations with ROP leaders and membership! The focus will be The Road to Ferguson. Ferguson didn’t just pop up on the landscape of injustice. Our living room conversations will chart some […]
Read MoreWhere can you find ROP this Spring?
April 16th, 2015 Dear ROPnet, Where is ROP this Spring? The answer is… in your town! ROP is in the middle of “Winter & Spring on the Road 2015 – ROP Everywhere.” We have lessened the needs that can keep us tied to an office and we have been hitting the road. In the last […]
Read MoreGoing After Capital: $15 Minimum Wage Action
March 30th, 2015 Dear ROPnet, The following is a call to action from 15Now Oregon and 15Now PDX, the organizations that have been doing grassroots work to raise Oregon’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. The Rural Organizing Project is active in this coalition and several human dignity groups are currently organizing around $15Now in […]
Read MoreAddressing homelessness in Crook County
March 26th, 2015 Dear ROPnet, Housing insecurity is a crisis that impacts every county in Oregon. We have witnessed the fallout of 30 years of cuts to mental health resources, the systematic dismantling and privatization of social safety nets, the costs of living increasing while wages remain the same, and an economic recession that has […]
Read More“We Need These Stories”
March 16th, 2015 “Who gets to define what history is and what matters?” – Deb Ross, National Movement Leader and ROP Supporter “This is what we do. We suit up, we show up, and we give. We do it – over and over again – because we love our democracy, our state, and our beloved […]
Read MoreThe Caucus is coming! June 13th!
March 11th, 2015 Dear ROPnetters, Mark your calendar! This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be Saturday, June 13th in Woodburn! Join small town and rural Oregonians from across the state as we reflect on the last year, share our local strategies for bold and innovative organizing, and think big about what we’d like […]
Read MoreLegislators: have a heart!
March 2nd, 2015 Dear ROPnet, Thirteen counties have taken on the most recent Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) to send our legislators “10 things I LOVE about Wage Justice” post cards and hand-crafted Valentines asking our electeds to have a heart, including Jackson, Lane, Douglas, Polk, Yamhill, Clackamas, Hood River, Wasco, Lincoln, Crook, Deschutes, Baker and […]
Read MoreComing to your town: Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?
February 20th, 2015 Dear ROPnet, Between September 4th and 9th, over 600 small town and rural Oregonians attended a tour of the Conversation Project “Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?: A Hidden History,” facilitated by organizer, author, and educator Walidah Imarisha. Every stop was organized by human dignity group leaders from across the […]
Read MoreCelebrate Rural Organizing on March 1st!
February 18th, 2015 Dear Friends of Rural Organizing Project, ROP is spreading the love…. the rural organizing love! We are thrilled to announce Rural Organizing Voices, a project dedicated to expanding knowledge and strategies that advance rural organizing. We would like to invite you to join us to celebrate (and support this project!) on Sunday, […]
Read MoreOrganizing for Reproductive Justice in Josephine Co
February 18, 2015 Dear ROPnet, I’d like to share a story of inspiring and creative organizing from Josephine County that experiments with connecting the dots between reproductive justice and gender justice and racial justice. An intergenerational group of Josephine County folks have been organizing together for racial justice for over a year now, building a […]
Read MoreRural Organizing Voices
Support Rural Organizing Voices: donate here. ROP is spreading the love…. the rural organizing love! We are thrilled to announce Rural Organizing Voices, a project dedicated to expanding knowledge and strategies that advance rural organizing. Over the last several years ROP’s Founder, Marcy Westerling, and our own oral history project coordinator, Sarah Loose, have been […]
Read MoreJoin other small town Oregonians to rally for Healthcare for All!
Oregonians To Rally For Health Care For ALL–February 11 Dear ROP Human Dignity Groups, The Rural Organizing Project is a member of Health Care for All—Oregon (HCAO), a coalition of 100 organizations working to bring universal, publicly funded health care to Oregon. Coalition members include unions, businesses, advocacy organizations, and political, religious and local community […]
Read MoreHow do you measure quality of life in your county?
January 22nd, 2015 Dear ROPnet, The Rural Organizing Project was created so rural communities in Oregon could define ourselves, our communities, our realities, and what progressive organizing and analysis should look like in our counties. This stays as true today as it was in 1992. Recently, ROP sent out an email with a New York […]
Read MoreCreating Beloved Community Through Radical Action
January 17th, 2015 Dear ROPnet, Martin Luther King, Jr. believed we needed to topple the triple threats of militarism, racism, and materialism/capitalism in order to truly realize Beloved Community. And we needed to use radical actions to get there. As National Peoples Action states, “Dr. King and his fellow civil rights leaders regularly asked everyday […]
Read More‘Let me Help You Breathe’
January 9th, 2015 Dear ROPnet, How do we sustain ourselves in the long-term struggle for human dignity? How do we grow our movement, overcoming systems that pit us against each other to reduce the mighty power we could wield collectively? With so many spotlights being shone on the many injustices in our world, how do […]
Read MoreLife in Rural Counties
January 8th, 2015 Dear ROPnet, What is the economic reality of living in Oregon’s rural counties? Two recent studies share details on life in rural counties and across Oregon. The University of Oregon’s Labor Education and Research Center released today the Oregon Workforce Report 2014, The High Cost of Low Wages in Oregon. New York […]
Read MoreA Year to Remember
Are you ready for 2015? Before we jump into the New Year, let’s look back at some highlights from the past twelve months as we share the Best of 2014! From statewide wins to inspiring local organizing, we have much to appreciate, learn from and celebrate. We’d like to share our appreciation of a powerful […]
Read MoreA Story of Peace & Justice in Central Oregon
While reflecting on a recent march through downtown Bend, Rev. Ron Werner, Jr. remarked, “Why would a mostly rural town show up and speak out when it looks nothing like Ferguson, Staten Island, or Cleveland?” He goes on to share: “Bend could have stood silent and allowed the headlines of recent weeks to slowly fade […]
Read MoreIs It Bad Enough Yet?
I believe that deep within our being as a nation there is a longing for a moral movement that plows deep into our souls. We are flowing together because we recognize that the intersectionality of all of these movements is our opportunity to fundamentally redirect America. -Rev. Dr. William Barber II December 18th, 2014 Dear […]
Read MoreConnecting the dots across struggles
December 12th, 2014 Dear ROPers, Last Saturday, human dignity group leaders from across Oregon joined a conference call to collectively digest and brainstorm how rural and small town Oregonians can be a voice for human dignity in this moment. From Redmond to Grants Pass to Astoria to La Grande to Newport to Cottage Grove, folks […]
Read MoreBuilding Together for the Long Haul
Marcy Westerling, Rural Organizing Project Founder December 8th, 2014 Dear Friends of the Rural Organizing Project, Big-time elections can make genuine political conversation impossible. And when the voting is over, superficial analysis often leads to over-simplified conclusions. But human dignity leaders in the ROP have a tradition of taking the time before, during and after […]
Read MoreBig questions in small towns
December 4th, 2014 Dear ROPers, Last week doing holiday errands and walking through my small town, I ran into many human dignity activists who shared passion, confusion, anger, and much more on a continuum around Ferguson, leaving me thinking, “Wow, we are all struggling so to figure out how one death in Ferguson is creating […]
Read MoreHow can rural Oregon show up?
December 1st, 2014 Dear ROPnet, Like a lot of you, our Thanksgiving celebrations were filled with conversation, digesting what’s going on in Ferguson, what happened to Michael Brown, and how this relates to us and our communities. Ferguson has sparked a national conversation about race that doesn’t often make it into mainstream media or into […]
Read MoreGiving thanks for resistance
November 25th, 2014 Dear ROPnet, Over a year ago, I wrote you all to express my grief, dismay, and feeling of paralysis with the news that George Zimmerman was acquitted for Trayvon Martin’s murder. Last night, I watched a livestream of Ferguson protesters absorbing the news that Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted, and […]
Read MoreGiving thanks for resistance
Over a year ago, I wrote you all to express my grief, dismay, and feeling of paralysis with the news that George Zimmerman was acquitted for Trayvon Martin’s murder. Last night, I watched a livestream of Ferguson protesters absorbing the news that Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted, and I sobbed as I helplessly […]
Read MoreMovement lessons from the South
November 24th, 2014 Dear ROPnetters, It’s great to be back home and at work in rural Oregon after having a fantastic few days in Dallas, TX for the Facing Race conference put on by Race Forward. Thanks to our friends at Welcoming America (of which ROP is an affiliate), I was able to join over […]
Read MoreThis Win is Ours
November 21st, 2014 Dear ROPnet, The photo to the right was snapped last night at Central Oregon’s Social Justice Center. Over fifty people gathered together at the heart of Central Oregon’s human dignity movement to hear firsthand what President Obama planned to do with his executive action on immigration reform. The room was overflowing with […]
Read MoreFinding Inspiration
November 20th, 2014 Dear ROPnet, Over the last few weeks, ROP staff have been on the road and in communities, meeting with human dignity groups, debriefing the election and building strategies and ideas for moving forward in 2015. We have been taking time to talk about what we are seeing in our communities, what we […]
Read MoreReflections on Election Eve
November 3rd, 2014 Dear ROPnetters, Over the last few months rural and small town Oregonians have made their voices heard. We have knocked on doors, hosted and attended forums, and made hundreds of phone calls. We have delivered STAND Voter Guides, marched through the streets, written letters to the editor, and talked with our neighbors. […]
Read MoreLivingly Dying – Marcy in Yes! Magazine
October 30th, 2014 Dear ROPnetters, If you’re a reader of Yes! Magazine, you might have already spotted the article written by ROP’s brilliant founder, Marcy Westerling. This article helps illustrate how, even through terminal illness, Marcy is organizing communities, speaking her truth, and sharing sharp analysis on death in a death-phobic culture. You’ll find the […]
Read MoreA bittersweet farewell
October 28th, 2014 Dear ROPnetters: In spring of 2008, I sat at my computer in San Salvador, El Salvador, and poured my passion into an application to become an organizer at the Rural Organizing Project. … my conscience told me that I had to find a different organizing model, based on slow gains over the […]
Read MoreStories from the Field: Rural Oregonians March, Call and Pose for Measure 88!
October 23rd, 2014 Dear ROPnet, This month we bring you stories from communities all over the state – rural and small town Oregonians taking action in support of driver cards and against deportations! Over the last few weeks human dignity groups have marched 7 miles from Scappoose to St Helens, marched 150 strong in Hermiston, […]
Read MoreThe War at Home
October 22nd, 2014 The War At Home and Abroad A few weeks ago we sent you a message looking at the war abroad and what is likely to be endless war into the next presidency. You can read that ROPnet here. Today is the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality. Let’s talk more about […]
Read MoreTurning education into action: tour success & next steps!
Between September 4th and 9th, over 600 small town and rural Oregonians attended Walidah Imarisha’s conversation project tour “Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?: a Hidden History”. Every stop organized by human dignity group leaders — Grants Pass, Redmond, Astoria, Albany, Newport, and Bay City — was packed! Check out the photos below! […]
Read MoreOff to a Great Start! Small Town Actions for Driver Cards!
October 3rd, 2014 Dear ROPnet, Our October Month of Action and organizing to pass the Driver Card here in Oregon is off to a great start! Human Dignity Advocates of Crook County set a high bar for action with their community event, “Common Sense on Measure 88.” Over forty people gathered in Prineville on a […]
Read MoreMoving to Action – Co$t of War in Syria & Iraq
I suspect that like many of you, when I found out about the replaying of the NBC footage of the attacks on the twin towers on the anniversary of September 11th, I was livid. This just hours after President Obama’s words committing to war. “We will hunt them down wherever they are… “ Suggestions that […]
Read MoreWow! Standing room only across the state!
It has been a breathtakingly exciting week at ROP! As I write this, our tour of Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?: A Hidden History has traveled to four of its six stops to standing room-only crowds. From Grants Pass to Redmond to Astoria to Albany, crowds from 60 people up to a […]
Read MoreThe right to be heard
August 18th, 2014 I have lived in Columbia County for 25 years. I raised my children here, I work here, I was married here. This is my community and I have the right to drive, to participate, and to be heard. – Lionila Jimenez, Columbia County Cultural Coalition We need to do more than just […]
Read MoreCost of War 2014, And What We Can Do About It
August 12th, 2014 Dear ROPnetters: Mike Edera is a long-time ROP volunteer, leader of a human dignity group in Washington County for many years, activist, organizer, and strategic thinker. We share with you this timely and thoughtful piece by Mike on “the Cost of War 2014” – a conversation many rural communities are having right […]
Read MoreWhy Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?
After months of hard work and planning, six rural communities will host conversation projects on Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?: A Hidden History, presented and facilitated by organizer and educator Walidah Imarisha. On September 4-9th, the tour will visit Grants Pass, Redmond, Astoria, Albany, Newport, and Bay City. Several tour stops will also host […]
Read More100 Days of Stories
It’s time! Are you ready? Today marks the official launch of the Yes on Measure 88 – Driver Card for Safe Roads campaign. The Rural Organizing Project is proud to be a supporter. Join us in supporting M88. Visit the campaign website (launched today!): www.VoteYeson88.com This November, vote YES for an Oregon Driver Card. We need […]
Read MoreWhat Does Courage Mean to You? A History of LGBTQ Organizing In Rural Oregon
Figure out what courage means to you. To me, courage means speaking up for your values even if you are the only one. If you’re going to be timid, you’re not going to be very effective. What are you willing to give – to do – to make a difference in this world? – Kathleen […]
Read MoreReaping the Rewards of Movement Building
June 19th, 2014 Dear ROPnetters, Sometimes you can really feel how our endless hours and labors towards justice have a real and direct impact. These past few months, Oregonians have many victories to celebrate and we have hundreds of human dignity leaders to congratulate for how they’ve kept the light of justice illuminated in their […]
Read MoreMany Thanks and a Farewell
Dear ROP family, I would like to thank ROP and its amazing staff for being incredible women to work alongside. It is with a sad heart that I am writing you all to say I have decided to move on from ROP. I have learned to so much and grown so much in my time […]
Read MoreA moment to celebrate! And the struggle continues.
Dear Ropnetters, Congratulations Rural Oregon! For years Human Dignity Groups pushed local law enforcement to stop collaborating with Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) in their mission to deport our community members. We met with sheriffs, held community forums, published letters in the paper, did candidate questionnaires, even took our message – “No to Deportations, Not […]
Read MoreInspiration and Perseverance
May 15, 2014“I’d never had such a mind opening experience, with all the shared knowledge, inspiration and realized community. I left the Caucus and Sunday training with deep newfound focus in both activism and life.” – Rebecca Ince Dear Ropnetters, Wow! What a Caucus! On May 3rd and 4th we held our incredibly successful 22nd annual Rural Caucus & Strategy […]
Read MoreJoin us Saturday for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session!
May 1, 2014 (Happy May Day!!!) Dear ROPnetters, We have a great Caucus coming up this weekend! Check out the weekend’s agenda, workshop descriptions, and directions to get there — all below! We look forward to seeing you for our Caucus and Strategy Session on Saturday, May 3rd in Hood River at the Riverside Community Church, 317 State Street […]
Read MoreEasy Action, Big Ripples – time for Oregon to join in!
April 23rd, 2014 Below is a message from ROP Founder, Marcy Westerling and long-time ROP wise thinker and local leader, Mike Edera. Join us on Saturday, May 3rd at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session in Hood River to talk about ‘Foreclose on Wells Fargo’ and other home defender strategies. Dear ROPnetters, Here is a question: What do hundreds […]
Read MoreUrgent: County Sheriffs say no to ICE holds
Dear ROPnetters, In the last 24 hours, 9 counties in Oregon have announced that they are no longer honoring ICE holds. This comes after a federal court ruling that states that Clackamas County violated the 4th Amendment when it held a woman in their custody based solely on an ICE request. (See this article from The […]
Read MoreDrawing inspiration (and strategy) from each other in Central Oregon
Dear ROPnetters: Sometimes the best way to draw inspiration is to look toward each other. This was very true for the human dignity groups in Central Oregon when groups from all three counties came together for a regional gathering last month on Race, Racial Justice & Immigrant Rights. Thirty people and eight human dignity groups were […]
Read MoreFanning the Flames – Register for the ROP Caucus!
April 2nd, 2014 Dear ROPnetters: In just one month, on Saturday, May 3rd, human dignity organizers from across rural Oregon will be convening for the annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session in Hood River. Every year, over 100 rural and small town organizers come together to reflect on our work in the past year and […]
Read MoreSmall Towns Take Action on April 5th – #Not 1 more Deportation!
Dear ROPnetters, For several years now, human dignity groups have done inspiring work confronting deportations in their hometowns. Activities have ranged from building power to push County Sheriffs, to honor the human dignity of immigrants, to mobilizing phone calls, to get neighbors out of the ICE detention center in Tacoma, to holding public events that […]
Read MoreRural Community Emergency Response
March 27, 2014 Dear ROPnetters, As the aftermath of the deadly mudslide in Oso, Washington unfold, rural emergency response is topic of many conversations happening across the country. Human dignity organizers in Cottage Grove are mulling that same topic since February after responding to the aftermath of the worst ice storm in Lane County history […]
Read MoreRural Community Emergency Response – 2014
March 27, 2014 A message from Jess Campbell: As the aftermath of the deadly mudslide in Oso, Washington unfolds, rural emergency response is the topic of many conversations happening across the country. Human dignity organizers in Cottage Grove have been mulling that same topic since February after responding to the aftermath of the worst ice […]
Read MoreStopping Deportations and ICE Holds: Where does your county stand?
March 7, 2014 Dear ROPnetters: You may remember our October 2013 KTA: Tools for pushing back against police-ICE collaboration in small-town Oregon, featuring a great interview with Jorge Hernandez, a leader in two human dignity groups in Newport, Oregon and a member of ROP’s Latino Advisory Board. Jorge talked about immigration detainers, which are requests made by U.S. […]
Read MoreThe Growing ROP Family!
March 6th, 2014 Dear ROPnetters: I am thrilled to introduce the newest members of the ROP family, Sam Hamlin and Julie Braker! Sam joins the ROP staff as an Organizer. Julie is ROP’s new legal fellow, splitting her time between Immigrant Law Group and ROP. Read more about Sam and Julie in their letters below. […]
Read MoreSee you in Hood River on May 3rd – Rural Caucus & Strategy Session!
February 20th, 2014 Dear ROPnetters: Every year rural and small town organizers come together for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session, a day to share incredible organizing from across the state, reflect on our last year and make plans for our rural human dignity movement in the year ahead. Hosted by the Rural Organizing Project, the […]
Read MoreTaking Action on Wage Theft
February 18th, 2014 Dear ROP Immigrant Fairness Network, This week the Coalition to Stop Wage Theft has been active at the Capitol. Workers have testified and ROP Board and Latino Advisory Board Members have met with legislators – all to keep the issue of Wage Theft in the forefront this session. Many of you, over […]
Read MoreEnvisioning Alternatives – Strategies from Small Town Post Office Organizing!
January 27th, 2014 Dear ROPnet, When ROP and human dignity groups started working to save post offices in November 2011, we didn’t know where it would take us. We knew rural post offices were vital to small town life. We knew the attempt to dismantle the country’s 2nd largest employer after Walmart was about more […]
Read MoreCheck out where your legislators stand
Dear ROPnet, Yesterday, our legislators got individual report cards delivered to their office in Salem. Some were great! Others, well… They could use some work. Check out how your legislators did on the Facing Race: 2013 Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity — download it here and bring it to your group! The report card […]
Read MoreFeliz Año Nuevo from Central Oregon!
January 10th, 2014 Dear ROPnetters, Feliz Año Nuevo from Central Oregon! The Recursos team from Central Oregon with allies from Crook County Human Dignity Advocates, Central Oregon Jobs with Justice, and ROP Organizer Rosa Navarro The holidays are always a busy time for human dignity groups. Everyone is getting everything ready for the next year […]
Read MoreYou are my inspiration
January 2nd, 2014 Dear ROPnet, What a year it has been! As we begin 2014 – an election year when the rights and dignity of so many of our neighbors will be put up for a vote – let’s remember to look back and celebrate our victories and our movement for human dignity. Together we […]
Read MoreWhat does your town need to thrive in 2033?
Many of you joined us for the a conversation about envisioning our small town commons in 2033 at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session in June. Since then, ROP has taken this conversation across the state and it has been an exciting couple of months on the road! We have been going community to community, […]
Read MoreIt’s not everyday that we make national news
It’s not every day that we make national news. But Monday we did when 70 folks packed the sidewalk in front of the Gateway Post Office on the busiest day of the year for the USPS — part of the Gateway Mail Processing Center slated to close in February — talking with customers, sharing homebaked […]
Read MoreThe Power of Community Organizing
Can you invest in the power of community organizing? Support rural justice by making a gift to ROP today. December 10th, 2013 Dear Friends of Rural Organizing Project, 2013 reminds us why organizing matters. In June, the front page of the New York Times announced two big Supreme Court decisions of 2013. Above the fold, […]
Read MoreCelebrate the Postal Service with ROP!
November 26th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters, Before everyone sits down around the table for Thanksgiving, we wanted to announce something we are grateful for: the United States Postal Service. The United States Postal Service is a vital lifeline for rural communities across the state, and it is being systematically dismantled for corporate profit. If this is […]
Read MoreGive Thanks to a Human Rights Hero in Your Town!
November 21st, 2013 Dear ROPnetters: Every year, Human Dignity Groups across the state choose to recognize a local human rights hero in honor of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed on December 10, 1948. We live in a time when drone attacks are deemed normal and rational. Whisking our neighbors away […]
Read MoreEconomic Justice Film Screening… In Your Town?
November 11th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters, Our friends at the Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP), a progressive think tank based in Silverton, want to collaborate with human dignity group leaders who would be interested in screening the film American Winter in their communities, which digs into the economic realities working class families across America are […]
Read MoreSuccess! Roseburg responds to statewide pressure!
October 30th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters: Monday we put out a call for action to encourage the City of Roseburg to follow through with their commitment to Occupy Roseburg and to put a legal homeless campground on the City Council agenda for discussion. Dozens of calls were made and many emails were sent immediately. By the end […]
Read MoreNeed Non-Violent Civil Disobedience training? Join us!
October 29th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters: Want Non-Violent Civil Disobedience training? We have great news for you then! Hey rural freedom fighters and allies! Please join me and the ROP staff team in this amazing opportunity to get trained on non-violence disobedience training in Portland! It’s part of our immigrant rights coalition building tactics to keep […]
Read MoreHelp Occupy Roseburg keep the heat on!
Last May we sent out a ROPnet describing Occupy Roseburg’s incredible success fighting a proposed “exclusion zone” that would unfairly target folks who appear to be low-income in downtown Roseburg, all while they continued to do their community-building work of their weekly Feed the Burg potluck. For those of you who would like the refresher, […]
Read MoreBackground on Drivers Cards Referendum
Many of you have asked for more information about the Drivers Card Referendum, where the Driver Card law passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor earlier this year will be referred to the November 2014 ballot. It will be important for us to stay connected during the coming months and year – it is […]
Read MoreGrowth of for-profit prisons – and the movement to stop it
It’s not too hard to find out why the United States is #1 in the percentage of the population that is incarcerated… just follow the money. The boom in the prison industry in the last 15 years has followed a growth in private prisons that receive public reimbursement per prisoner, per day… which has (surprise!) led to tougher […]
Read MoreChris Crass Event: Towards Collective Liberation
Hello and much love from Amy Dudley, former staff organizer at ROP! Since my cherished time at ROP, life has been full and chaotic and amazing as only life with 2 little ones, Cora, now 4, and Leo, 2, can be. How I miss you all and being on the open road heading to the […]
Read MoreCrook County’s summer “vacation”
Every summer we see several human dignity groups take the opportunity slow down, recharge, and do what they need to keep their families happy and healthy, from camping to gardening to canning. During these slower moments, many groups consider ways they can remain active and visible in their communities, and here is a great examples […]
Read MoreSignatures turned in for Drivers Card Referendum
On May 1st of this year, the governor signed the Drivers Card bill SB833 into law. It had been approved in both chambers after many years of advocacy and organizing. We want to share with you that last week, as you may have heard, opponents turned in signatures seeking to repeal the bill. More information is in the […]
Read MoreA Historic Walk through Central Oregon
Last Week- Over 100 walkers marched through Oregon’s 2nd Congressional district and walked from Madras to Bend in a historic 42.2 mile walk. The three day walk was from September 15th-Spetember 17th to Congressman Greg Walden’s office in downtown Bend to deliver over 1,500 signatures from rural Oregon citizens and over 100 small business owners’ letters, calling Walden […]
Read MoreROP is Hiring an Organizer!
If you’re a human dignity group leader, rural justice seeker, ally, or ROP supporter, you were probably thrilled to hear the news that the ROP organizing staff is growing! Rosa Navarro joined our all-star organizing team in early September as our Latin@ Community Organizer, joining Jessica Campbell (brilliant and beloved ROP Organizer), Amanda Aguilar Shank (Associate Director), and Cara […]
Read MoreWalk for Citizenship – The Home Stretch!
Dear Immigrant Fairness Network, Today marks the last day of the the Walk for Citizenship, also known as the Peregrina para la Ciudadania. Dozens of Oregonians are walking 42 miles from Madras to Bend calling on Rep Greg Walden to take leadership in the House of Representatives and call for a vote on immigration reform. Cara & […]
Read MoreJoin us for the Walk for Citizenship!
September 12th, 2013 Dear ROP Immigrant Fairness Network, In just a few short days dozens of folks will be walking across Central Oregon for the Walk for Citizenship/ Peregrina para la Cuidadania. Hundreds more will join marches and vigils in Madras, Redmond and Bend from Sept. 15-17th. Join us to bring the voices of consituents directly […]
Read MoreNo War With Syria
With the drumbeats of war growing ever louder as the US prepares to begin military action in Syria, human dignity leaders are stepping up to be the voice of reason. Without Congressional approval and without public debate, how can we hold space in our hometowns to discuss what it means when our leadership goes to […]
Read MoreIn Central Oregon, We March
August 28th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters: This Spring, 50 of us traveled by bus across Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District and into Washington and Idaho to call for just immigration reform and drivers licenses as part of the March for ONE Oregon. We experienced incredible highs: the largest march ever known to Hermiston, hundreds lining the streets […]
Read MoreWelcoming Communities: Bridging Cultures in Rural Oregon
August 20th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters, Hope everybody is enjoying the summer! National Welcoming Week is just 4 weeks away. Do you have plans for how to celebrate in your community? Welcoming Week is a time to honor the contributions of immigrants to our communities, and bring together immigrants and US-born residents in a spirit of sharing, unity, […]
Read MoreScapegoating of the Disabled 2013
August 13th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters: Before there was a Rural Organizing Project, there was Marcy Westerling driving around trying to build solidarity and support between progressive small town Oregonians. There were so many of them that they formed community-by-community human dignity groups and the ROP was born in the early nineties. Marcy functioned as lead […]
Read MoreWhat can Rural Oregon do about Immigration Reform?
The House of Representatives has now closed down for their month-long August recess after not having come to a vote on immigration reform, and community leaders are letting Congress know that they’re sick and tired of the stalling. Last week, our compañeros Ramon Ramirez, President of PCUN Farmworker Union, and Reyna Lopez of Causa Oregon were arrested […]
Read More2 hours a week
Volunteers make it all happen. Hundreds of you volunteer to bring human dignity one step closer in your community. Volunteers are the way we combat attacks on democracy, educate our neighbors about key issues, stand up for undocumented immigrants, for LGBT families, for poor and working class Oregonians. Did you know that volunteers are also […]
Read MoreDo It Then Defend It
July 26th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters: Earlier this week we shared a blog post with you about the Reverend Barber and North Carolina’s “Moral Mondays,” a direct action every Monday in the North Carolina legislature. Nearly 1000 have made the moral and ethical decision to be arrested in order to stand against an all out war […]
Read MoreHundreds Arrested on Moral Mondays
This Monday we bring you a blog post from our Board Member, Cathy Howell. She lived and organized in North Carolina and has kept a close watch on their Moral Mondays lead by the North Carolina NAACP. They are a model for us all to study – NC NAACP has kicked off Moral Mondays, weekly […]
Read MoreThe Verdict Is In
We are in a telling moment where the racism and white supremacy so many of our systems are built on and serve are being reflected back to us. With the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the death of Trayvon Martin, and, in the same state, Marissa Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in jail for firing […]
Read MoreWatch the March for ONE Oregon Documentary!
Friday, July 12, 2013 Dear ROPnet, Last March, over 50 bus riders and thousands of others took part in a historic bus tour that covered central Oregon, eastern Oregon, Idaho, and southeastern Washington featuring rallies, community forums, and press conferences calling for just immigration reform and drivers licenses for Oregon drivers. As one bus […]
Read MoreAqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos
Last March, over 50 bus riders and thousands of others took part in a historic bus tour and related events that covered central Oregon, eastern Oregon, Idaho, and southeastern Washington featuring rallies, community forums, and press conferences calling for just immigration reform and drivers licenses for Oregon drivers. As one bus rider shared, “I will never […]
Read MoreROP is Hiring an Organizer!
With everything, a silver lining. Just a month ago we were tearful we held a despedida – a goodbye party – for Keyla Almazán, as she transitioned from a staff organizer role to a Yamhill County representative of the ROP Board of Directors and the Latino Advisory Board. (It turns out ROP is a hard place to leave!) […]
Read MoreDecline to Sign – a measure to roll back our immigrant fairness wins
Word travelled to the ROP office this week that anti-immigrant activists are out on the streets, collecting petition signatures for a ballot measure to repeal the recently passed Drivers Card legislation. Call the ROP office for materials to get the “Decline to Sign” message out in your town. On May 1 of this year, Governor […]
Read MoreDignity Campaign response to the senate immigration bill
As the US Senate discusses amendments to the immigration reform bill S 744 in Washington DC, we are faced with political compromises, and we ask ourselves the question: How far is too far to compromise? How high of a price are we willing to pay to get a path to citizenship for our undocumented families who […]
Read MoreLegislature: Standing Up for Family Farmers!
At the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session, small town Oregonians came together for a session on “Debt & Economic Refugees.” We discussed strategies for fighting back – from foreclosure resistance strategies to innovative policy approaches that address student and farmer debt. The energy in this session was high, many expressing hunger for direct action and bold next […]
Read MoreWe’re so close to winning wage theft protections!
“Okay, this is the second time this guy has done this…” Play video Stories to Stop Wage Theft is a project of the Oregon Coalition to Stop Wage Theft. Learn more at: www.nwjp.org. The video series shares the testimonies of Oregon workers who have experienced stolen… 00:05:17 Added on 2/21/13 Many of you have been […]
Read More20 Years of the ROP Caucus
Being a committed human dignity and social justice activist is not an easy life path. At certain times it can be downright dangerous. Other times range from frustrating and exhausting to exciting and energizing. Being such a person in a rural community can be very isolating. Oregon is blessed to have an amazing organization that […]
Read MoreThe Caucus is Saturday! Directions and more!
It’s almost that time! Our 20th annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session is this Saturday, complete with the visioning, strategizing, and analysis-building pieces the Caucus is known for. And, of course, our big party, complete with music, dancing, and dinner cooked by our allies at PCUN! The agenda, driving directions, and more are below. This is looking […]
Read MoreBradley Manning – The Moral Imperative of Carrying Out Acts of Defiance
Today Bradley Manning faces the beginning of his military trial. Over 10 years ago, many human dignity groups bravely stepped forward in our rural and small town communities to challenge the very popular notion that we should respond to the September 11th attacks with declarations of war. It took years to move public opinion to end […]
Read MoreTalking Race at the ROP Caucus
As you may already know, our 20th Annual Caucus and Strategy Session is around the corner! It will be held on Saturday, June 8th, at the CAPACES Leadership Institute in Woodburn. This caucus will be drenched with race talk and we need you to be in that space! This is part of our intentionality to keep pursuing […]
Read MoreAre you ready to party with ROP?
Tuesday, May 28th, Dear rural organizers, community advocates, and activist extraordinaires, Did you know that we’re going to have a big party following the Caucus on Saturday, June 8th? Y’all are invited to celebrate 20 years of the Annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session with us with food (cooked by PCUN President Ramon Ramirez himself!), music, […]
Read MoreResponding to Hate in Central Oregon
Did you send ROP an email between 3PM Tuesday afternoon and 11AM Wednesday morning? Due to a technical difficulty, we didn’t get it. Please send it again and we will respond soon! May 23rd, 2013 Dear ROPnetters: Just over two months ago, the March for ONE Oregon bus tour departed from Central Oregon, traveling the […]
Read MoreNo Exclusion Zone for Roseburg
As more and more people fall prey to overwhelming debt, foreclosures, layoffs, and an inaccessible health care system, people in our community are falling through the gigantic holes in our safety nets. Many end up unhoused, living in cars, couchsurfing, or on the streets. Below is a story out of Douglas County where business interests […]
Read MoreGet Ready to Fill Out Your ROP Ballot!
Every year we introduce the current slate of those who have stepped forward to serve on the Board of Directors of theROP. The Board meets throughout the year on weekends, hosted by different human dignity groups each time who also feed and house us. Our Board of Directors consists of human dignity group leaders from […]
Read MoreHello Goodbye! From Keyla Almazán
May 8th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters, (This is a bilingual letter. La carta en español esta abajo) I would like to start this letter to you with an indigenous proverb. In Spanish it reads, “Decidir no significa un momento arbitrario. Decidir significa que has puesto tu espíritu en orden impecable, y que has hecho todo lo […]
Read MoreJoin us for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session! June 8 in Woodburn
May 2, 2013 Dear Friends of ROP in Multnomah County, Join us for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session! Saturday, June 8th in Woodburn. Register here! 20 Years of the ROP Caucus! Each Spring, the Rural Organizing Project convenes over 125 rural and small town organizers, justice seekers, and community members for a day-long Rural Caucus & […]
Read MoreThinking About Boston
April 18th, 2013 Dear ROPnetters: When I heard about the bombings in Boston, my first thought was about my friend who was running in the marathon, and my second thought was, “oh no… What kind of backlash will this unleash?” The article below is being circulated all over social media. While we all cope with […]
Read MoreMay day! May day!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Dear ROPnet, We are coming up on a record-breaking May Day where thousands of Oregonians will come together at the State Capitol to demand Driver’s License Access for ALL and Federal legislation with a path to citizenship for ALL 11 million undocumented immigrants. Check out the announcement from Causa, Oregon’s immigrant rights group, below! A […]
Read MoreGet your team together for the Caucus!
Thursday, April 11, 2013 Dear ROPnetters, It’s time! Every year we ask that you assemble your human dignity group’s team to attend the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session. Here we are again, making that request for the 20th year in a row — because this year is our 20th Annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session! The 20th […]
Read MoreEvents for Driver’s License Restoration and Immigration Reform this Week
Hello all, If you live near Bend or Eugene, don’t miss these important visits to Congressman Walden & Congressman DeFazio’s office tomorrow! Also, the Drivers License bill will get a hearing tomorrow in Salem. Let us know if you will attend! So much is happening in just 24 hours! Keep up the heat for immigration reform and drivers […]
Read MoreShowing up for Racial Justice
April 1st, 2013 Dear ROPnetters: In two weeks, ROP will be in Seattle co-presenting in a 2-day institute with Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) about engaging white people in racial justice work. We have something to be proud of here in Oregon: our human dignity groups are a national model for organizing white people against racism in our […]
Read More20th Rural Caucus & Strategy Session: June 8!
We are thrilled to announce that our 20th Annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be Saturday, June 8th at newly opened CAPACES Leadership Institute in Woodburn, Oregon! Celebrate twenty years of the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session with rural organizers and leaders from across the state, reflect and share what we have learned from our organizing the year before, and strategize […]
Read MoreTUITION EQUITY PASSES OREGON STATE SENATE!!
Congratulations Oregon!!! It is a historic day and hopefully one of many victories for immigrant justice this year!! See the release below from our friends at CAUSA. Equity Passes Oregon State Senate!Salem, Ore.– Ten years after it was first introduced, the Oregon State Senate in an historic vote passed Tuition Equity — House […]
Read MoreTuition Equity vote tomorrow morning!
Immigrant Allies, we need your support! Reach for your phone. As soon as you finish reading this email, please make a phone call to your state Senator in support of the Tuition Equity Bill. This bill will grant in-state tuition to youth who have graduated from Oregon schools, regardless of the country they were born in […]
Read MoreStory of the March for ONE Oregon
Over the course of five days, rural and small-town Eastern Oregon communities were transformed into living, breathing examples of the world of justice, shared struggle, and community power that we are building. 10 events across rural Eastern Oregon, Idaho, and Washington brought 2000 people into local streets, dance halls, and churches to welcome 50 March for […]
Read MoreFrom Scappoose to Serbia with Love
As an ROP volunteer I’m sometimes offered assignments that paid staff would love to do but, alas, they have minute-by-minute obligations that often preclude fun extras. So when the World Affairs Council of Oregon asked if ROP could meet with a delegation of Serbian LGBT leaders, the query was kicked over to me and I said, […]
Read More2+ Days on the Road: Report from the March for ONE Oregon
The March for ONE Oregon has been on the road for 2 1/2 days. Spirits are strong among riders as hundreds gather at every stop to welcome them into the community and advocate for dignity for immigrants across the United States. Below you will find a report from the first two days of the tour. […]
Read MoreGet on the bus! March for ONE Oregon
We have a couple seats that just became available on the March for ONE Oregon! Can you or someone from your community join us next week (Monday-Saturday) for this history-making action? This isn’t a just tour of the Northwest — it’s civil disobediance. We are just one of several buses crossing the country, visiting […]
Read MoreMarch for ONE Oregon – leaving Tuesday!
We are officially less than a week away from the historic March for ONE Oregon! The office is abuzz with excitement between all of us eager to join the March and our phones ringing off their hooks with ideas, questions, and the final planning! You, too, can join the March! Meet the bus along the way […]
Read MoreRural Voices (and signatures!) for Marriage Equality
This week Oregon United for Marriage submitted their first 2,000 signatures to qualify marriage equality for the Oregon ballot in 2014! ROP leaders signed to ensure that 29 of Oregon’s 36 counties were represented from the start, and 10 of the 17 Valentine’s Day parties to collect signatures were in small town Oregon, outside Salem […]
Read MoreChanging the Conversation: Guns and Sheriffs
Oregon recently made international headlines as our Sheriffs one-by-one began signing onto a letter to Vice President Biden stating they would refuse to uphold any Federal legislation that addressed gun control. As soon as the Crook County Sheriff signed on, the Human Dignity Advocates set up a meeting and talked through the need for creating genuine community […]
Read MoreMarch for ONE Oregon – Join us for a Historic Moment
Something is breaking free in rural Oregon. As I’ve traveled the state in the past two weeks I’ve sense a hope in the air – that the immigration reform that escaped us in 2006 and every year since will finally be a reality. Join the Rural Organizing Project, CAUSA, and PCUN Farmworkers Union for the […]
Read MoreWhat is your pledge for Immigration Reform?
January 24th, 2013 Dear ROP supporters, After the November election, the conversation about race was elevated to the national stage – finally out of DC we are hearing discussion about the needs of immigrants, about the power of the Latino vote, and shortly after that about the need to pass an immigration bill. But politicians on both […]
Read MoreHelp Keep ROP on the Road!
As supporters of ROP, you know that when you make a donation, every penny you contribute will be spent wisely, every stack of used paper will be printed double-sided, and every hour of your time is a valuable asset. We’re calling out now for you to reach into your networks and help keep ROP on […]
Read MoreAn Inauguration Week Story – from Columbia County
On Monday, Salem was buzzing as our new and re-elected legislators were sworn in – among them North Portland’s Rep. Tina Kotek, who was also appointed Speaker of the House, becoming the first openly lesbian chamber head in the country. In just a few days, on the national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, our first black will be […]
Read MoreLegislature: Rally in Salem for Healthcare!
January 9th, 2013 Dear ROPnet, In just a few weeks the Oregon Legislature will convene in Salem and policy-making for Oregon will be in full force. During the Legislative Session ROP will be sharing updates and calls to action, details on the issues we care about and opportunities to rally in Salem and participate […]
Read MoreConnecting the Dots
What a year it has been! We have seen an explosion of community organizing from Occupy to post offices to the election. We have been busy on the road connecting with and supporting ROP leaders who have been buildling this movement for human dignity for years, meeting dozens of new community organizers, and rekindling relationships […]
Read MoreThe Gift of Human Dignity
Happy new year from the team at ROP! Amanda, Cara, Jessica, LeRoy, Ambika, and Keyla Friends, Celebrate the New Year by giving the gift of Human Dignity. We are amazed to look back on what we have accomplished together in 12 short months, from making Oregon the most active state for Occupying our Post Offices to […]
Read MoreGetting paid this holiday season
We send warm wishes to you and your family during this holiday season! These days of celebration and family traditions should be a bright spot in the year, but the practice of wage theft darkens these times for many workers and their families – Oregonians who are not receiving the wages they have rightfully earned. […]
Read MoreAn ROP Remembrance
If you are stymied to name a mentor you might want to set about changing that right now. We deserve them. They help us get where we most deeply want to go in life (unlike so much else that tells us what we should shoot for – the biggest house, the most gas guzzling […]
Read MoreWho owns Salem: Nike or the People?
Are you ready for the legislative session to start up… Friday? Governor Kitzhaber has called for an emergency legislative session 9AM this Friday, December 14th to freeze a tax loophole for Nike for the next 5-40 years, which opens the doors for other big corporations to do the same. Yet again, there is no discussion about […]
Read MoreWe Are Hope. We Are Accountability.
Can you invest in hope? Support rural justice by making a gift to ROP today. December 11th, 2012 Dear Friends of Rural Organizing Project, I wrote last year’s annual letter when Occupy Wall Street was at its peak and the Arab Spring captivated the world. Headlines were flooded with stories of people standing up against injustice […]
Read MoreGiving Thanks to a Human Rights Hero
November 21, 2012 Dear ROPnet, We live in a time when wars are the norm – drone attacks abroad, troops (still) in Afghanistan, and unaccountable military “aid” in the Middle East. The war at home means our neighbors can be whisked away to detention centers for minor traffic infractions, and this is somehow considered a […]
Read MoreThere Will Be No Reform Unless There is a Fight
To The ROP Community: Below is a message from Mike Edera – longtime ROP leader, volunteer and strategic thinker. For years Mike ran the West County Council for Human Dignity in Western Washington County and has recently been organizing with homeowners in foreclosure. Read on for some analysis on what comes next in this moment…. […]
Read MoreRelief & Reflection
November 8th, 2012 Dear ROPnetters, This week we get to celebrate, and if you are like me, feel a sense of relief. Tuesday night we saw some real victories – our country reelected a black president amidst so much backlash, several states passed gay marriage, those who challenge the “legitimacy” of rape were rejected by […]
Read MoreStand for Democracy Year-Round
As the big day approaches, despite how tiresome all of the political commercials are, everyone is watching the play-by-play in this election (how many times have we all heard Big Bird, bayonettes, and FEMA mentioned?). We are all anticipating the moment the numbers are released — who will be president? What ballot measures will pass? […]
Read MoreSTAND: Latino Engagement
A couple of days ago, my dad opened up his mailbox to find his first Oregon ballot. He moved to Oregon over a month ago. He quickly changed his address and he was surprised to find his ballot in the mail. He asked me if I knew how to fill it out and how to […]
Read MoreWalk for Truth, Justice and Community
October 26th, 2012 Dear ROPnetters, In 2005, outraged by the impact of the cost of war at home and abroad, and hungry to make our dissent heard, we marched. The Walk for Truth, Justice and Community lasted for 7 days as rural peace activists and immigrant leaders came together to march from Salem to Portland demanding peace, immigrant […]
Read MoreSTAND: Democracy and Your Ballot – Measure Analysis & More!
Dear ROPnet, Ballots begin to arrive in the mail as early as this weekend. Below you will find reflections from Rural Organizing Project about this year’s ballot, Thinking Through Today’s Dilemmas for a Better Tomorrow. We also share short analysis of theballot measures, held up against the definition of democracy. This is one of a series […]
Read MoreOrganizing to Save Rural Post Offices
We are thrilled to release Organizing to Save Rural Post Offices: A Community Organizing Toolkit! Sharing our success stories and lessons from rural Oregon in the last year, Organizing to Save Rural Post Offices is being used across the state and the nation to help folks educate their communities and prepare for the loudest round of pushback from rural America […]
Read MoreSTAND: A Different Way to Look at This Year’s Election
Dear ROPnetters, The Voter Registration Deadline is fast approaching – Oct. 16th is just a few days away. In this message, Rural Organizing Project shares some election year reflections and ballot basics for new and long term voters. This is one in a series of emails including content from ROP’s STAND Voter Guide. Read and […]
Read MoreWhy Chavez Won: A Testimony
Dear Ropnetters, Do you remember the election that had 81% voter turnout? Do you remember when voters stayed out in the streets all night dressed in their party’s colors – on both sides – waiting to celebrate or mourn election results together? If so, you were probably following news about the Venezuelan presidential election, held this past Sunday. […]
Read MoreEverybody In, Nobody Out: Healthcare for All
Dear ROPnet, This message comes to you from Bill Whitaker (Union County) and Rosalie Pedroza (Marion County) – ROP Board Members, Human Dignity Leaders, and leadership with the Healthcare for All Oregon campaign. Read on to learn more about the campaign and to join ROP and other human dignity groups in this movement! Warmly, Cara […]
Read MoreCrisis into Opportunity
September 27th, 2012 Dear Ropnetters, This week, we share the story of an ROP group that turned crisis into opportunity. Read on to be inspired, and to pick up more tools for your organizing toolbox. Earlier this summer, following a community conversation about marriage equality in Lincoln County, a hate-filled op-ed was published in the […]
Read MoreHave you checked your mailbox?
Dear ROPnet, Have you checked your mail recently? In the last few days you should have received your copy of ROP’s STAND Voter Guide! For the first time ever ROP has created a complete STAND Guide in both English and Spanish. We received orders of over 22,000 English Guides and 6,000 Spanish Guides from human […]
Read MoreDeferred Action: the Power of Our Youth
On August 15th, 2012, undocumented youth from Oregon along with supporting organizations gathered outside of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Application Support Center in Downtown Portland to make history. This is the day when the application process opened up for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, otherwise known as “DACA” or “Deferred Action”. This moment […]
Read MoreBORDERLESS STORIES opens tomorrow in McMinnville!
September 13th, 2012 Hello ROPers! Tomorrow, Unidos Bridging Community, a Yamhill County human dignity group, is hosting the grand opening of BORDERLESS STORIES – an art exhibit that documents the experiences of 10 immigrant families in Oregon through photos and stories. Where: McMinnville Public Library, 225 NW Adams St. When: Friday, September 14th, 5:30-6:30 pm Who: Hosted by Unidos […]
Read MorePostal Road Warrior Tour Update
Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Dear ROPnetters, After 19 days on the road all over rural Oregon, Jamie Partridge, Postal Road Warrior, retired mail man, and long-time ROPer, has parked his station wagon back home. Jamie met with community organizers and postmasters in Deschutes, Crook, Marion, Linn, Benton, Lane, Polk, and Umatilla Counties to save their […]
Read MoreStrolling Toward Better Election Results (and new friends!)
Strolling Toward Better Election Results (and new friends!) WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? Ballots for the 2012 General Election will arrive in the mail during the 3rd week in October. This election cycle we face 9 ballot measures – some that could advance democracy, some that make bold promises but seem to deliver little, and some that […]
Read MoreIs there something in the air?
August 28th, 2012 Dear Immigrant Fairness Network, A few days ago, a friend who works in the construction industry stopped by to tell me that his colleague had been “educating” peers at work about some new information he heard on talk radio, that 90% of undocumented people are on welfare. Then, a Human Dignity member […]
Read MoreOrder your English and Spanish STAND Guides
August 23, 2012 Dear ROPnetters, Perhaps you have been a bit distracted by this great summer weather and the deadline to place your STAND Voter Guide order passed you by. Do not fear! You can still place an order but we need it from you ASAP. Order your English and Spanish STAND Guides here: https://rop.org/2012-stand-voter-guide-order-form/ The […]
Read MoreTake a STAND for Democracy – Year Round Action
Have you ever been to a family reunion or BBQ where someone backs you into a corner and talks your face off? You can’t get a word in edge-wise and you look for a way to escape. This describes the 2012 election. The “entity” that has us cornered is fixing to spend up to 10 […]
Read MoreA Word of Encouragement
August 7th, 2012 Dear ROPnet, With the recent attack at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, stories of Syria all over my talk radio station, and facing another anniversary of the war in Afghanistan combine to remind me that war isn’t over. The wars aren’t over. I know that. You know that. But sometimes it […]
Read MorePostal Road Warrior Tour
Monday, August 13, 2012 Dear ROPnetters, The Rural Organizing Project is bringing the Postal Road Warrior Tour to rural Oregon. We are building our networks of allies and our grassroots capacity to mobilize for when the privatizers come back to town! Check out the tour stops below! I have also included two great articles for you […]
Read MoreA Summer Dance Party! To benefit the Rural Organizing Project (and all of our psyches!)
On Saturday, August 18th 6-9pm In Cara’s Backyard: – just over the St. Johns Bridge in Portland. Directions provided upon RSVP! Marcy Westerling and Cara Shufelt are hosting a summertime party. There will be good food from Old Wives Tales, great beer (thanks Captured by Porches!), wonderful people, and an excellent DJ! This is a party to […]
Read MoreCesar is just one of thousands of Oregonians whose wages are being stolen every day
August 29th, 2012 Dear ROPnetters, Cesar stocked shelves and unloaded deliveries at a grocery store in Washington County for almost a year. He kept daily written records of his work, showing that he typically worked six days a week for more than 12 hours a day. His employer paid him a weekly lump sum of […]
Read MoreWhat do you STAND for? Candidate Questionnaire
Dear ROPnetters, With an incredible year of discussion surrounding inclusive and just democracy — what it looks like when we do and do not have it, and what we must do to create it — this is going to be an interesting election season ripe with new opportunities to engage our communities in meaningful conversation. […]
Read MoreAn Article from Marcy, who will be on Think Out Loud Mon., 7/30!
Update! Marcy Westerling’s interview on Think Out Loud has been rescheduled for Monday, July 30th between 9-10AM. Tune into OPB then to hear from the Rural Organizing Project’s fearless founder! You can also listen live online here: http://www.opb.org/radio/. Or download and listen to the show at: http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/ Below is an article that has gotten Marcy’s […]
Read MoreWhat is your Passion?
Hello ROP Supporters! Whatever your passion is, we are here to find a way to put it to its best use in building a better world. Yes! We need your help here in the ROP office! “I started volunteering with ROP when I was between jobs and looking for a way to keep my resume […]
Read MoreROP Founder Marcy Westerling on the Radio! Mon. 7/30
Dear ROPnet, ROP’s Founder Marcy Westerling will be interviewed on Monday, July 30th on Think Out Loud. Listen in! If you are able to get OPB radio, the show starts at 9am. Marcy will be featured for a 1/2 hour of the show (but we are not sure what time slot yet, 9-9:30am or 9:30-10am). […]
Read MoreIs coal export right for Oregon?
Dear ROPnetters, Last night in Scappoose, 150 people gathered to discuss a proposed coal export project – which had been negotiated by their Port Commissioners behind closed doors – to transport millions of tons of coal through their community. The room was standing room only(!) with the audience erupting into spontaneous applause when the discussion […]
Read MoreOregonians Tell Postmaster General RETURN TO SENDER
Today the “Return to Sender” campaign kicked off! Eight communities across the state are rallying and passing out postcards addressed to the Postmaster General, Congress, and the Oregonian. Many more communities are organizing for the next big steps in the Return to Sender campaign! Check out the press release below for more details! It’s not […]
Read MoreGov. Kitzhaber: Moratorium Now!
Dear ROPnet, For those of you who joined us at the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session this year, you had a chance to hear one story of community organizing to challenge pesticide spaying. Many of you asked for more information. Here is the story of Standing Together to Outlaw Pesticides (STOP) and details on their […]
Read MoreOregonians “Return to Sender”: Save Our Postal Service
Newsflash! Postal workers from across the country, including one of our Portland allies, are hunger-striking in DC to demand Congress to stop starving the USPS! Read all about their provocative actions here! Dear ROPnet, Due to the mounting pressure from rural America, the United States Postal Service scrapped its original plans to immediately close rural […]
Read MoreThe Immigration Pressure Cooker
Dear ROPnetters, The immigration pressure cooker is boiling over – and that’s not always a bad thing. Two news flashes: ten days ago, President Obama initiated an immigration policy change that will spare many DREAMers (undocumented youth who were brought to the US as children) from deportation. This is such a huge victory to celebrate. […]
Read MoreJoin the pushback against Racial Profiling
Dear ROPnetters, The Trayvon Martin case is one tragic example of the impact racial profiling can have on our youth and our families. With the Supreme Court due for a decision in the next few weeks on Arizona’s SB 1070, which seeks to legitimize racial profiling, people across the country have been uniting to confront […]
Read MoreROP’s 2012 Human Dignity Heroes
Dear ROPnetters, Every year at the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, ROP gives out three Human Dignity Awards to groups where individuals that have shown exceptional leadership in their organizing in the past year. This year, with so much incredible organizing happening it was hard to pick just three, but we managed! Read on to […]
Read MoreReady to AMP up your organizing?
We are, too! Western States Center’s annual organizer training, previous called the Community Service Training Initiative (CSTI), is back this year with a new name: “AMP” (Activists Mobilizing for Power)! AMP will be held at Reed College in Portland, Oregon from July 27th-29th. AMP is a great opportunity for emerging and experienced leaders to learn […]
Read MoreCamp Wellstone is Coming to Oregon!
At the 2011 Caucus, Wellstone Action led dozens of rural community organizers through a workshop on shifting the status quo of local elections. Wellstone Action engaged us around choosing the values we want to see in candidates, then actively recruiting community members who live by those values to run. Wellstone Action shared stories of their […]
Read MoreApply by June 1st! History from Below
This June, ROP human dignity leader and Grange member Aaron Embree will present a resolution at the 2012 Oregon State Grange session asking participants to declare their official support of the Occupy movement, as embodied in the Declaration of the Occupation of NYC, approved by the NYC general assembly on September 29, 2011. Aaron was already successful […]
Read MoreThemes, Reflections & Stories from the Caucus
Most importantly about the Caucus, I realized that I’ve found my home in activism. I’ve found my family. I’ve found my fore-bearers, Ramon Ramirez and Marcy Westerling. I’ve learned our history. I’ve been adopted with open arms. I’ve been shown a path and given tools and I have a plan. – Jennifer Turner, Klamath Over […]
Read MoreIt’s all about YOU! And we need it by Friday ;)
Dear ROPnet, The Rural Organizing Project is your project. It is about helping you and your local Human Dignity Group stay connected, effective, and on the cutting edge of our collective rural movement for justice. That’s why we need you to take 10 minutes now (or at least before the end of the day on […]
Read MoreReflections from Marcy on the The Times We Live In
When last we communicated via ROPnet a year ago, Occupy was not yet a named, dynamic moment. And yet ‘it’ (the ripening phase*) was there, lurking. Possibility is always there if we can stop seeking the idealized moments of social justice work. According to Bill Moyer’s Doing Democracy: The MAP Model for Organizing Social Movements, […]
Read MoreIt takes a village to raise a Caucus
The Rural Caucus and Strategy Session is more of a barnraising than a conference. We live our values by keeping costs low (your group can still register for just $20 each), and building in that spirit of pitching in. It’s called being lean and mean. With your help we stay agile, adaptable, and accountable to […]
Read More5 Things Not To Miss at the Caucus!
This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on Saturday, May 12 is looking to be the best yet! With a whole weekend of tours, conversations, and activities, there are exciting new ways for organizers to connect with each other, share stories, and shape statewide strategy for the next year! Space is limited for some of […]
Read MoreMay Day in Oregon
Every year around the world we celebrate May 1st as “International Workers Day”. We celebrate the worker’s struggle of the late 1800’s to have an 8-hour work day and remember those who died fighting for fair working conditions, a living wage, and the right to organize. But what does May 1st really mean to us […]
Read MoreEnd Racial Profiling Week
This week is End Racial Profiling Advocacy week – thousands of activists and groups around the country are uniting to raise the visibility of racial profiling, and add their voice in support of the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA). Racial profiling is a problem in rural Oregon. We’ve heard countless stories: in the Willamette Valley, […]
Read MoreOur Post Offices on the Senate Floor!
This Tuesday Senator Merkley took the Senate floor with large posters of the Tiller and Juntura post offices and spoke to the crucial service these and other rural post offices provide, directly quoting testimony from organizers of Occupy Our Post Offices. Watch the video here! On February 22, over 1,600 petition collected by Occupy Our […]
Read More2012 – 2013 ROP Board of Directors
Welcome to the ROP Board of Directors Slate for 2012-2013! It takes heart, passion and spirit to run the Rural Organizing Project and this year’s slate for our Board of Directors has all of that and more! Read on to find out more about our 3 Cathy/ Kathys, who’s traveled to DC to meet with […]
Read MoreRegister Now for the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session in Woodburn!
ROP’s 19th annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session is on Saturday, May 12th with early bird registration ending Friday, April 13th! As you may have already heard, this year’s Caucus is being held at PCUN in Woodburn, the heart of the farm worker movement in Oregon. It will be a fantastic opportunity to reflect on […]
Read MoreReport…Rural Latino Leadership Retreat
At the Rural Latino Leadership Retreat this past weekend, something powerful happened. I heard my compañeros and compañeras expressing themselves without fear of retaliation – and with the freedom to talk in their native language. A room united by one voice, a voice of freedom, courage and justice, this time being spoken in Spanish, interpreted […]
Read MoreTHE LATINO RETREAT IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!
Yes! It is almost here! Haven’t registered yet? We still have a few spots left, so register today! ROP’s 2nd Annual RURAL LATINO LEADERSHIP RETREAT 2012 Building Safe and Welcoming Communities for Immigrants in Rural and Small-town Oregon SATURDAY, MARCH 24TH, 2012 – 8:30am – 5:00pm IGLESIA SAN MARTIN DE PORRES 405 Ferry St., Dayton, […]
Read MoreAnswering the Lies Privatization Zealots are Peddling
With the news that Senator Reid is moving forward with legislation on postal reform and California State speaking out against the damage post office and mail processing facility closures will do to voting by mail, we are going to enter yet another cycle of news that promotes the misinformation FedEx and their purchased politicians use […]
Read MoreOccupy Rural Oregon Prepares for Spring
Despite the cold and often snowy weather keeping folks indoors, Occupy Rural Oregon has been reflecting, analyzing, strategizing, and preparing for the spring! The Rural Organizing Project has been facilitating Occupy Rural Oregon Think Tanks in small town and rural communities across the state. In each Think Tank we have shared innovative tactics rural Oregon […]
Read MorePetitions for Rural Post Offices Delivered
Earlier this month, I visited with Diana, a 71 year old great-grandmother of 13 and retired Postmaster for the Tiller Post Office. I first talked with Diana in December when ROP was coordinating Occupy Our Post Offices – a statewide day of action for rural post offices. Diana was organizing a rally in Tiller before […]
Read MoreRural Caucus & Strategy Session – May 12th!
Every year the Rural Organizing Project brings together rural and small town leaders, activists, organizers and concerned community members for a day of strategizing. We look back on our last year – what we have accomplished, what has changed in our political climate – and we strategize for the year to come. This year’s Rural […]
Read MoreRural Latino Leadership Retreat
Este correo se encuentra abajo en español. We’re excited to announce that registration is now open for our 2012 Rural Latino Leadership Retreat! Can you help us get the word out? The Retreat is organized this year by an 8 member Latino Advisory Committee representing counties across the state. We hope that you’ll help us […]
Read MoreBuilding Welcoming Communities
This year, ROP is honing our focus to an ambitious project: building welcoming communities. This means that we’re devoting extra of our most precious resource, organizer time, to working with small groups of people to run proactive campaigns to make their communities more welcoming to immigrants. Seem like a tall order? Well do you remember […]
Read MoreKnow Your Rights Toolkit
The Rural Organizing Project and the Lane County-based Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) traveled rural Oregon last fall bringing “Know your Rights” presentations to 7 communities across the state, reaching over 190 people including immigrants & allies alike. The tour was on the road from October 1st – December 11th, 2011, stopping in towns in […]
Read MoreHELP WANTED
Are you detail oriented? Looking for a way to contribute to a good cause? Interested in keeping your mind sharp in retirement or your resume fresh while you look for a job? If you answered yes, you may be just who we’re looking for! ROP has a very important volunteer position open in our Scappoose […]
Read MoreOccupations Embracing the Homeless
“Homelessness is not a side issue unconnected to plutocracy and greed. It’s where we’re all eventually headed — the 99%, or at least the 70% of us, every debt-loaded college grad, out-of-work school teacher, and impoverished senior — unless this revolution succeeds.” -Barbara Ehrenreich The Occupy movement has gained and maintained so much traction because […]
Read MoreA New Look for the New Year
When was the last time you checked out the ROP website? If you take another look at www.rop.org we know you’ll be happy with what you see. We’ve switched to a new layout designed to get you maximum access to the bounty we have to share. Here are a couple of the goodies you can […]
Read MoreSaying Goodbye to 2011
We share these stories of our successes of 2011 with huge gratitude – find below some highlights from the year, pulled from our annual report. We are proud of our accomplishments this year, and hope you are too – it is all of you that make all of this possible. If you have not renewed […]
Read MorePost Offices Occupied Across Oregon
As we head into our holidays, here is an inspiring update from rural Oregon! Monday, December 19 was a remarkable day. Over 23 communities across Oregon came together to fight back against Congress’ move to privatize the Postal Service for corporate profit. Monday proved just how much rural Oregon cares about core community infrastructure that […]
Read MoreOccupy Walden Report!
On Monday simultaneous actions occurred in towns where Rep. Walden has offices (Medford, Bend & La Grande), his hometown (Hood River) and Klamath Falls. Hundreds turned out to Occupy Walden! The goal of the action was to expose Walden for his support of Wall Street, not Main Street. The actions highlighted Walden’s lack of representation […]
Read MoreOccupy CD2 on Monday!
On Monday Dec. 5th rural and small town Oregonians will be occupying Congressional District 2 – the first congressional district occupation in the country (as far as we can tell)! Actions will be taking place in towns across the district: Medford, Bend, La Grande, Hood River and Klamath Falls. The demand? That Walden represent the […]
Read MoreSend us your Human Rights Award Nominees
On December 10th, Human Rights day, human dignity groups will publicly honor that person who is constantly working in our towns to maintain dignity, equality and justice. The Human Rights Award is an annual tradition for many groups, and a way to celebrate the unsung heroes that keep us on this winding road towards justice. We hope you’ll […]
Read MoreKeep the Fire of Rural Justice Burning Bright
“People who are committed over the long haul are the embers who never burn out, and the next fire will arise from them.”– Rebecca Solnit As we enter 2012, we are inspired by the flames of the Occupy movement spreading like wildfire through small-town Oregon and the rest of the country. Mosier (in Wasco County) […]
Read MoreThe 99% Occupy Oregon!
Despite brutal police crackdowns on Occupy camps across the country (including Portland) and the cold rain and snow, the Occupy Movement is still going strong in Oregon! Occupy Mosier’s one-week encampment earned them a front-page story on the Oregonian in addition to a slew of national media attention for being the smallest town in the […]
Read MoreIntroducing . . .
Big changes have come to the ROP headquarters! You may have noticed there are some new voices on the phones and some new faces on the road for ROP. That’s because the ROP organizing staff is growing! This year we are so excited to have brought on two new organizers, both from small town Oregon. […]
Read MoreOccupy Mosier Too Small to Fail
Occupy Mosier is making history and garnering national attention as the smallest town in the entire US to hold an Occupy camp! Hundreds of supporters have visited the encampment and participated in the plethora of talks, workshops, and roundtable discussions. How is this possible in a small town of 430 people that lacks sidewalks or […]
Read MoreNov 2011 KTA: Resources for Small Town Occupations
The Rural Organizing Project has heard the call from human dignity groups and small town occupiers from across the state: you want tools and resources to make the most of this exciting moment! That is why we have developed Resources for Small Town Occupations: tools developed for rural and small town communities to keep the […]
Read MoreWanted: New Wheels for ROP
Our lean and mean organizing model means that we make good use of member’s contributions and in-kind donations. Everything from the furniture in our office to the community garden in our front yard to our printers and paper is thanks to the culture of chipping in that surrounds ROP. It’s a culture that makes our […]
Read MoreTrue Democracy for One Day
What will it take to rebuild the American Dream for our communities? A standing room only crowd of 150 people. “This is the best forum I have been to” repeated again and again. Real dialogue between community members and 4 of the candidates running for Congress in District 1. Testimony from community members alongside speeches […]
Read MoreKnow Your Rights Workshops hit the Road!
Our Rural Latino Retreat earlier this year really drove home Oregon’s truth: we’re ready. Ready for a human dignity movement led by people who know all about assaults on dignity daily: immigrants & immigrant families. As part of our support to rural Latino groups, ROP has teamed up with the Civil Liberties Defense Center based […]
Read MoreNews from Rural Oregon’s 99%
Read on for Occupy Events Around Rural Oregon! The first of small town (and big city) Oregon’s Occupy events took place last week in Bend, Ashland, Salem, Cottage Grove, Portland, Seaside, Eugene and more. Who is joining in this week? Newport, La Grande, Roseburg, Corvallis, Manzanita, Medford, Port Orford, Klamath Falls, Winston, McMinnville, Astoria, Coos […]
Read MoreBeing Bold and Occupying Space
If you are like me, the buzz of this moment is so invigorating that you can hardly stand to step away from your computer. I am eager to find out the location of the next “Occupy” event in Oregon, or to receive the next email on creative ways progressives are promoting a vision for a […]
Read MoreOct 2011 KTA: Rural Voices for Marriage Equality
Over the next month there will be some serious consideration on whether or not to bring a marriage equality measure to the ballot in 2012. Is there the voter support to win in 2012? That is why we are bringing you the October Kitchen Table Activism early this month, to invite your human dignity group […]
Read MoreOCCUPY WALL STREET; Protest-Resistance In The Air
As Wall Street stays occupied (finally, a US occupation we can believe in) and folks converge in DC for the 10 year anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, let’s consider the big and small ways we can sow the seeds of resistance and, as David Graeber says so well in the attached article, rediscover the radical imagination.
Read MoreCandidate Forum: VOICES OF RURAL OREGON
Our candidate forum Voices of Rural Oregon: A Kitchen Table Conversation is coming up. On Tuesday, Oct. 11th from 6-8pm rural and small town Oregonians will gather in Scappoose for a forum with candidates seeking to replace Congressman Wu in Oregon’s First Congressional District. This will be a different kind of candidate forum. We will […]
Read MoreCongressional District 1 Candidate Forum
On October 11th, we’re partnering with Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity, the Working Families Organization, and Move On.org to host a Kitchen Table Conversation with the candidates looking to represent District 1 after Congressman Wu’s recent resignation. “Voices of Rural Oregon” A Kitchen Table Conversation Candidate’s Forum for Oregon’s 1st Congressional District Date: October […]
Read MoreSep 2011 KTA: Group History
Write Human Dignity Group History! WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? Our history defines us. It grounds us, keeping us rooted through the present and teaching us lessons for the future. This month’s activity is to add your Human Dignity Group’s story to the collective history of rural Oregon’s grassroots movement for human dignity! WHY THIS ACTIVITY? […]
Read MoreFORECLOSE ON WALDEN CAMPAIGN (cont.)
On August 18th Central Oregonians, representing the many different communities that make up our towns, brought their heartfelt and sincere energy to a powerful Town Hall Conversation that was directed towards an empty chair for Congressman Walden. Here’s the report from one of our “Where’s Walden?!” events this summer as part of our Foreclose on […]
Read MoreMarcy’s ROP Story
On Wednesday, August 17, 2011, a dozen ROP friends and volunteers gathered in a circle outside our humble Scappoose office to hear ROP founder and rural organizing visionary, Marcy Westerling, share stories of ROP’s origins as part of our Roots & Wings Oral History Project. This really is just one of Marcy’s many stories: When […]
Read MoreImmigration Reform at City Club of Central Oregon
In late July, Betsy Lamb of the Immigrant Family Advocates (IFA) took the stage at the City Club of Central Oregon. She went toe to toe on the issue of immigration with the leader of the anti-immigrant group Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR). Though they’re often quoted as a right-wing advocacy group, OFIR is also […]
Read MoreKeep The Pressure on Walden
The negotiated deal over the debt ceiling is one more result of the most reactionary and centralized right wing wrecking crews this country has probably ever seen. Oregon’s only Republican Congressman, Rep. Walden, has voted in lock-step with an agenda that has created catastrophic hardship for the regular people of this country. Rural Organizing Project […]
Read MoreThey’re Taking Hostages
As they have shown in the recent debt ceiling debate, the tea party minority is becoming a big problem for the rest of us. And they’re doing it by taking hostages. On the national level, this meant holding the country hostage, refusing to raise the debt ceiling until they got deep cuts to desperately needed […]
Read MoreAug 2011: Where’s Walden?! Foreclose on Walden August Congressional Recess Action
Sign our petition at change.org to send Walden our Notice of Foreclosure during the August Congressional Recess. Click here to link to the petition. WHY THIS ACTIVITY? The stand off around the debt ceiling is one more result of the most reactionary, nationalized and centralized right wing wrecking crew this country has probably ever […]
Read MoreKeeping our Eye on the Prize: ROP in the 2011 Legislature
In a legislative session that once again brought our massive revenue crisis front and center, ROP and our member groups kept a focus on the ultimate outcomes. ROP Platform: ROP and its member human dignity groups called upon our legislators to: Put People First: Human well-being is the indicator of economic success Hold Accountable those […]
Read MoreWANTED: Solidarity Housing
The Rural Organizing Project is looking for a home stay for an organizing intern that will begin work with ROP in August. Our prospective intern wants to make a 20 hour per week commitment to working with ROP, and we like him so much that we want to help make that possible. As he negotiates […]
Read MoreDear President Barack Obama
This week has created a whirlwind of commotion as the debt debate continues and we watch Obama yield to Republican demands and consider sacrificing the needs of some of our country’s most vulnerable people through cuts to Medicare and Social Security. Our “Foreclose on Walden” campaign (starting with an action in May where we issued […]
Read MoreHelp Write History! Introducing the Roots & Wings Oral History Project
It’s March 20th, 1993. Linn County. Ninety-seven rural and small town human dignity activists from across the state are gathered together at Oregon’s first ever Rural Caucus & Strategy Session. During a lunch break, 30 people form a circle and approve a mission statement and a steering committee. The Rural Organizing Project is officially born. […]
Read MoreJuly 2011 KTA: Get your Group Online!
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? Is your group on facebook? Do you have a blog? Or even better, your own website? If your group wants to grow, people need to be able to find you, and the web is increasingly a tool people use to explore even their own backyard. Try this – go to www.google.com. […]
Read MoreIntern Katy’s Hometown Strategy: Let’s Get Growing!
Part of the ROP Organizing Internship program involves an option to vision, design, and carry out a project from start to finish. Intern Katy Giombolini came to ROP with a background in food justice. For her independent project, she decided to focus on strengthening the local food network here in Columbia County.
Read MoreROP is Growing our Organizing Team
Dear Friends and Allies,
We’re excited to begin the search for an additional Organizer to join the ROP team. Please help us in our quest – forward this job description to your contacts in Oregon and beyond – we know that the perfect one is out there somewhere.
Applications are due on July 5th.
Questions or recruitment ideas? Contact cara@rop.org.
Read MoreImmigrant Rights Resources
A collection of information about Immigration Myths & Realities, Know Your Rights and Beyond Know Your Rights links, materials, and resources to support work for immigrant rights in your local community.
Read MoreJoin Us for 3 Days of Movement Building at CSTI!
CSTI, the Western States Center’s annual 3-day training and networking extravaganza, is coming up! Registration is open until June 24th! If you haven’t attended CSTI (Community Strategic Training Initiative) before, what better year to start? There are: Hundreds of volunteers and staff from groups working for social justice. Dozens of highly skilled trainer & organizers […]
Read MoreJune 2011: Preparing for the Long Haul – Financial Stability
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? If this recent war vote shows us anything- it’s that we need to be in this for the long haul. When the US invaded Afghanistan over a decade ago we didn’t necessarily know that years later we’d still be fighting for a withdrawal. Social change takes time, persistence and on-going organizing to […]
Read MoreHuman Dignity Awardees 2011!
Every year at the annual Caucus and Strategy Session, ROP gives out 3 Human Dignity Awards to groups or individuals who are making an impact in their community, and standing up for human dignity values. If you missed the Caucus, don’t miss this chance to “meet” our 2011 recipients. Here they are. Another round of […]
Read MoreSeeking ROP’s next Organizing Intern
Do you know somebody who is ready to get in a little bit deeper with ROP? Our beloved intern Katy Giombolini will soon complete her time with us, and we’re looking for somebody to fill her shoes. Contact cara@rop.org with any questions. Get in touch with us by Friday, June 17th if you’re intrigued. Seeking […]
Read MoreWhat a Day! Photos & Stories from the 2011 Caucus
Over 130 people representing dozens of groups from 27 counties joined us at the Caucus this year in a spirit of celebration, solidarity, and resistance for a day of storytelling, workshops, and strategy sessions. See photos here, and be sure to tune into Circle A Radio’s show about the Caucus on KBOO tomorrow at 6pm!
Thank you to all who hosted visitors in your homes, led workshops, helped with logistics, and especially to the First Presbyterian Church in Bend for hosting us. Everybody chipped in to make this a Caucus truly owned by the ROP community.
The day was packed with inspirational moments, but the most powerful was our noon break, when we used the collective voice of our statewide network, and marched down to Congressman Walden’s Bend office to serve him a Notice of Foreclosure!
Tuition Equity: Call to action, we’re winning!
Current Oregon law requires proof of citizenship to qualify for in-state tuition rates. This means that many of Oregon’s brightest students are being priced out of state colleges and universities.
The difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition is significant – for example at the University of Oregon, in-state tuition is $8,190 a year.
Read MoreRural Oregonians Foreclose on Walden
On Saturday, May 7th in Bend, Oregon Rural Oregonians decide Representative Walden is in default & Foreclose on Walden! Watch news coverage here NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE Reference is made to the elected Representative of Oregon’s 2nd District in the US House of Representatives, since 1999: GREG WALDEN This notice is about Rep. Walden’s […]
Read MoreThe Myth of Rural Oregon
The myth that rural Oregon is populated by a homogenous bunch of straight, conservative, Christian white folks is just that, a myth. Always has been, always will be. Rural progressives know that just about better than anybody.
From the Umatilla Reservation in Eastern Oregon to the growing Latino population on the coast, to the farmworker families of the valley and Southern Oregon, rural towns have been racially diverse for many years, and are becoming more so. (And that’s not to mention the mosaic of gender identities, faith beliefs, and politics!) I’m not talking Chicago diverse, but let’s get real: the 2010 Census numbers show Hispanics to be 12% of the state’s population, and that 16% of Oregonians are black, Native American, Asian, or some other non-white race.
Find 2009 census estimates for your county here: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41000.html
Foreclose on Walden
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
RURAL OREGONIANS “FORECLOSE” ON CONGRESSMAN WALDEN
Saturday, May 7th, 1pm * NW Wall St & NW Louisiana Ave Bend, OR
BEND, OR: On Saturday, May 7th rural Oregonians from across the state, led by the Rural Organizing Project (ROP), will serve Congressman Greg Walden a “Notice of Foreclosure” at his office in Bend.
Congressman Walden was the only Oregon Representative to vote in favor of the “Ryan” Budget – allocating over $700 billion for the military this year and billions in cuts to communities. Rural constituents will converge on Walden’s office to let him know that their communities cannot afford such misguided priorities.
Read MoreMay 2011 KTA: Fasting for a Fair Budget
Fasting tends to focus you, and the message is that a budget is about the choices we make. This fast is not just about cutting spending, but about the values that will determine our priorities and decisions. Should we cut $8.5 billion for low-income housing, or $8.5 billion in mortgage tax deductions for second vacation […]
Read MoreSingle Payer Healthcare in Oregon
ROP Member groups join the call for Single Payer Healthcare in Oregon. There is a Mad as Hell Doctors Tour happening right now throughout Oregon. Stops in April and May include: Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City, Bend, Madras, The Dalles and Hood River.
Read MoreSB 845 Testimony
April 22nd, 2011
Honorable Chair Beyer and members of the Senate Transportation Committee,
We are writing on behalf of the Rural Organizing Project (ROP). ROP represents 60 member groups across 31 counties of Oregon. We represent the residents of rural Oregon on several issues, today we would like to urge you to stand with us in supporting Senate Bill 845.
It is estimated that there are currently 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. A number of those immigrants are in various stages of the lengthy and complicated process to obtain work permits, become permanent residents, or citizens.
Legislators recently introduced Oregon Senate Bill 845 which would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Opponents to undocumented immigrants argue that individuals who have entered the country undocumented should not be allowed any rights, including the right to apply for driving privileges. Although this is an emotionally charged issue, we must look past those emotions to resolve the current situation and ensure the safety of all drivers. Licensing and verifying the true identity of all drivers, with proper background checks and other security measures, will contribute to improved security for everyone.
Issuance of a driver’s license to undocumented immigrants is an issue of public safety and economic prosperity. It will ensure that everyone obtaining a license be tested and insured. Because insurance companies only insure individuals with a driver’s license, more individuals would be able to obtain motor vehicle insurance. This would, in turn, drive down the cost of car insurance and make the roads safer for everyone.
Opponents argue that the issuance of driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants is a matter of national security and stated that driver’s licenses could also be used for identification purposes which may lead to more terrorists entering the U.S. However, failing to issue driver’s licenses or identification cards actually hampers law enforcement efforts to keep records of residents in each state. Everybody who operates a motor vehicle should be required to possess a driver’s license. Undocumented people are going to be driving, regardless if they have a license.
The current economic situation makes the situation with driver’s licenses more urgent. Various studies show that uninsured drivers result in losses to insurance companies. The economic losses caused by uninsured and unlicensed immigrant drivers affect insurance rates for everyone. The states that authorize undocumented immigrants to obtain licenses have lower rates of uninsured motorists and thus, lower insurance rates when other factors are not considered. States that deny licenses to their large undocumented immigrant populations, such as California, typically have high rates of uninsured driving. It is estimated that about a quarter of drivers in California have no insurance.
Laws restricting driver’s licenses in Oregon have inevitably led to a decrease in sales of motor vehicles, further hurting the economy. With the inability to purchase insurance, unlicensed drivers, whether documented or undocumented are far less likely to purchase vehicles. We should be doing all we can to promote growth in the economy and not impose barriers that further stagnate the economy.
Although much work is to be done on the issue of immigration, driver’s license restrictions demonstrably do not deter illegal immigration, but they do cost lives. Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) is charged with guaranteeing the safety of roads and highways, but does not have the resources to make this happen. Senate Bill 845 would insure that all drivers are contributing to these resources.
We see this as your chance to correct a misdirected policy from 2008. Giving access to driver’s licenses is a way to make our roads safer. This policy will give the state the opportunity to hold all drivers to the same standard of driving proficiency and insurance coverage.
In rural Oregon many of our businesses rely on undocumented workers to work our fields and processing facilities, as well as our service business and hospitals. While we can all agree that our immigration laws are broken and need to be revised, there is also no question that the undocumented immigrants who call Oregon home are integrated into the social, family, and economic lives of our communities. The safe travel of these people to and from their jobs, as well as their community activities, should be what matters most.
We ask you to vote “YES” on Senate Bill 845.
Steve Milligan of Polk Café Commons, Monmouth – ROP board member
Maria Sandoval of Save San Martín, Dayton – Community leader & activist
On behalf of the Rural Organizing Project and 60 rural human dignity groups statewide
A Hometown Strategy for Resisting Corporate Control
Below you will find the story of how activists in Clatsop County stood up to corporate control in their communities – ultimately resulting in the replacement of three county commissioners in the 2010 general election.
At the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session on Saturday, May 7th meet one of the core leaders behind the commissioner elections. Larry Taylor will be leading a strategy session on using a hometown approach to winning local elections- the steps and strategies behind the Clatsop County success.
Read MoreApril 2011 KTA: Rural Oregon Resists
Statewide Action at Greg Walden’s Bend Office on Saturday, May 7th!
On Saturday, May 7th rural and small town Oregonians will gather in Bend for a action at Congressman Walden’s office.
The Republican controlled house has proposed to balance the budget on the backs of the poor through massive cuts while corporations, the rich and the military continue to benefit. The military budget alone has increased to over $700 billion. We cannot afford to stand by and allow such a massive theft of national wealth and the prioritization of a war economy over meeting basic necessities in our communities.
We will demand that Walden and Congress:
Put People First: Human well-being is the indicator of economic success
Hold Accountable those responsible for the Economic Recession
Promote Real Security through community empowerment and energy conservation
Make your county’s plan to be a part of the action! This action will be a part of the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session. If you have not yet registered, do so today before the early bird deadline of April 7th. Click here for more information and to register.
Read More2011 Oregon Legislative Session
Oregon, like most states, is facing a severe revenue crisis. States are suffering from the impact of national funding priorities that put corporate profits and the military industrial complex above people and communities.
Read MoreMarch 30th Do Something Different, Support an Oregon State Bank
Thousands of Oregonians are unemployed, are in foreclosure, are wondering if times are ever going to get better. Thousands are looking for a different way of doing business, and are turning back to what ROPs small town communities know works—investing in our MAIN Streets rather than Wall street, and keeping our money in our communities where we can see the exponential effects of a dollar spent locally.
Read MoreAction Alert: Tuition Equity, and Immigrant Fairness
People decide to stay home and off the roads. Many experience depression. The children who witness their fathers being arrested are traumatized as one parent disappears and the other cries and worries constantly . . . Youth lose hope and begin to question the wisdom of investing time and energy in school . . . Those who would like to continue their schooling are denied reasonably-priced access to higher education under current discriminatory law.
– Excerpt from A Plea for Compassion and Common Sense, a report by the Immigrant Family Advocates in Bend documenting the impact of immigration enforcement on the local community
A bill to create Tuition Equity cleared the Oregon State Senate Education Committee last week, and is now on the Senate floor waiting for a vote!
The bill keeps top talent here by offering in-state tuition to long-time Oregonian high school graduates who’ve gotten into an Oregon college and are pursuing citizenship but who never got documentation when they were brought here as kids.
To contact your Senator, go to http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/ or call 1-800-332-2313 and ask for them by name.
Read MoreMake Every Day a Protest
“For there has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.…. War is like unto a fire; those who will not put aside weapons are themselves consumed by them”. So wrote Sun Tzu from China in the third century BCE. The current stage of the US war in Afghanistan began ten years […]
Read MoreGetting Traction: Housing foreclosures cancelled across the State
An interesting thing is starting to happen in Oregon. According to an Oregonian article published last week,hundreds of housing foreclosures are being cancelled across the State.
But why would banks be stopping so many foreclosures now?
March 30th: House Parties for LGBT Rights
A year ago, gatherings in a dozen communities launched the start of a public campaign for marriage equality in rural Oregon.
In rural communities that as recently as 2004 voted by a two-thirds majority for ONE MAN ONE WOMAN, the prospect of going public for marriage was a scary thing. Support groups & human dignity groups have been organizing for inclusion & safety for LGBT people for decades, a time marked with triumphs but also violence and hard choices. But instead of fear we saw tremendous courage, and the conversation on marriage began.
Read MoreROP 2011 Legislative Platform
Download ROP’s 2011 Legislative Platform Meeting with Your Legislators Oregon, like most states, is facing a severe revenue crisis. States are suffering from the impact of national funding priorities that put corporate profits and the military industrial complex above people and communities. The Oregon Legislature may not have much control over the Pentagon budget, but they […]
Read MoreDrivers Licenses Action Kit
The lack of access to Drivers Licenses is dire for immigrants. This was the top issue identified in ROP’s Rural Oregon Latino Retreat earlier this month, and thanks to a bill drafted by CAUSA, we have a chance to act and make some real change.
** Because of lack of access to drivers’ licenses in Oregon since 2008, and more and more immigrants live in constant fear of a trip to work or school resulting in deportation. Oregon is safer and more prosperous when everybody has access to drivers’ licenses. **
As human dignity advocates, I’m writing now to ask you to take action to get licenses back. Please choose two of the things below to do today! We’re here to support with more information, or if you’re looking for a way to do more for immigrant fairness this year.
Read MoreMar 2011 KTA: Government with Backbone
Government with Backbone: 2011 ROP Legislative Platform Oregon, like most states, is facing a severe revenue crisis. States are suffering from the impact of national funding priorities that put corporate profits and the military industrial complex above people and communities.The Oregon Legislature may not have much control over the Pentagon budget, but they can respond to […]
Read MoreWisconsin, We HEAR You!
Today is day 9 of protests in Wisconsin, which have brought up to 70,000 into the streets to demand what protestors consider to be a fundamental American right: the right to organize. The full frontal attacks on public workers, the brutal repression of revolutionary movements in Libya, Bahrain, and elsewhere are scary and meant to intimidate. But right now, they’re giving us a chance to practice globalizing solidarity and using our power.
They’re also showing us what we have in common: Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Wisconsin are all at a breaking point where we will no longer put up with governance that legitimates the massive theft of social wealth by a criminal financial elite, whether Mubarak, Gaddafi, Goldman Sachs, or the money-drenched US political system.
Taking the Next Step for Racial Justice–ROP’s Latino Retreat
At ROP’s recent Latino Leadership Retreat, a friend who has known us for many years commented, “wow! this is kind of different than other ROP events, isn’t it!?” Well yes it was: a room full of 50+ Latino leaders representing groups from a dozen rural counties, an event held 95% in Spanish with simultaneous interpretation, a full day of conversation based […]
Read More2011 Caucus Registration Form
Rural Caucus and Strategy Session Registration Form
Registration fees*: ROP member groups & early bird registrants receive a discount. Registration fees can be paid via credit card online (please click on the donate button then add a note indicating that you are paying for the Caucus) or mail a check to ROP POB 1350 Scappoose, OR 97056.
Not sure if your group paid its $50 group dues for 2011 yet? Call the ROP office at 503-543-8417.
Early Registration (money received before April 7th)
- $40 for ROP group of 3**
- $15 for one ROP member
- $25 for a non-member
Late Registration (after April 7th)
- $60 for ROP group of 3**
- $25 for one ROP member
- $35 for a non-member
To become an individual member add $35.
*Scholarships are available! Contact ROP for details **Further group rates available.
ROPs Top Ten for 2010!
Are you ready for everything that 2011 will bring? Before we jump in too far, let’s take a moment to look back at some of the ROP highlights from 2010. Thanks to a powerful network of human dignity groups, a strong and visionary board, and a fabulous group of members and supporters, we have a lot to be proud of!
1. Celebrating ROP’s Roots & Wings. We are still riding high from the momentum of our fabulous December celebration. Rural leaders from dozens of groups discussed strategy with 4 national thinkers who have roots back to Oregon’s fight the right movement, and then over 130 friends joined us for a dinner & dance party to honor our founder, Marcy Westerling, and celebrate Cara Shufelt as our new Director. And beyond that, we also raised $8,000 for ROP’s Roots & Wings fund. What a way to end the year!
2. Touring with the award-winning film, Out in the Silence. Filmmakers & ROP friends Joe Wilson & Dean Hamer brought standing-room-only crowds to 15 small Oregon towns on this tour, reaching over 1000 people, challenging homophobia and bringing a message of equality and inclusion. ROP member groups worked tirelessly this year for LGBTQ rights and are proud to be part of an effort to win marriage equality in Oregon!
3. Keeping human dignity alive in elections 2010. The progressive voice was sidelined nationally as we watched candidates run full speed to the right, or be defeated. In Oregon though, rural progressives reached over 8,000 of their neighbors with a personal conversation about the ballot and our democracy. The ROP voters’ guide reached 37,000 households and featured hometown strategies for rebuilding our economy and democracy year round.
4. No Soy el Army: Oregon’s Bilingual Peace Tour. 16 host communities looked deeper at the ways that the wars abroad and militarization at home disproportionately impact the poor and people of color. This tour nurtured cross-generational, cross-race relationships among the over 600 people that attended across the state and fostered thinking on creating alternatives to the military for rural youth of color.
5. Deepening our cross-cultural relationships. Arizona’s SB 1070 and a host of other attacks on immigrants remind Oregon’s human dignity groups of the role we play being on the frontlines in our communities advocating for human dignity and rights. This year, many groups prioritized relationships between the Latino and Anglo communities as a way to build a united front for change in their communities. One great example is the workshop that Centro de Ayuda and the Coastal Progressives organized in Newport, which was facilitated by Nelson Orellana of Equipo Maiz, a Salvadoran popular education organization – and was part of a long-term multiracial education and civil rights campaign.
6. Immigrant allies standing against deportations. ROP is proud to have joined with CAUSA and the Safe Communities Project this year in challenging Secure Communities and calling for an end to deportations and collaboration between ICE and local police. We participated in marches, documented deportations, met with local elected officials and created public pressure for respecting basic rights for immigrants. With attacks on immigrants growing, we’ll keep the pressure on in 2011 at the legislature and in our local communities.
7. Hometown Strategies for Advancing Democracy. ROP worked with human dignity groups this spring to host Roundtable Dialogues, bringing together key community leaders to put together our best thinking about how rural Oregon can help lead us out of this economic crisis. Hometown strategies – long-term projects that address the need for a stronger economy while uniting our community under a banner of human dignity values – are what emerged from those roundtables. Our Caucus in April drew over 130 ROPers and featured strategies like defending against foreclosures, working against deportations, moving our money to local banks and an Oregon State Bank.
8. Rolling Think Tanks with Suzanne Pharr. One of ROP’s longest and dearest friends joined us in February for a series of 7 themed conversations with more than 160 ROP leaders. 2010 was a transitional year for ROP in many ways, and these think tanks centered us on the core value of our work, bringing us closer to defining what it will take for our movement to “win” in these times.
9. We passed measures 66 & 67! In the January elections, Oregon stood out as a rare exception to the current economic trend of cutting taxes, cutting services, and defunding the commons. ROP groups developed county-specific guides featuring local business owners, knocked on 1520 doors, called 3225 voters in all 36 counties, and mailed voters’ guides to 12,496 rural voters – and was proud to contribute towards this huge success!
10. 50 Groups Strong in 2010! A number of these were groups who joined for the first time in 2010, including the Clatsop County Marriage Equality Project, the Lotus Rising Project, Good Grief America, Klamath Sustainable Communities, PFLAG of the Oregon Central Coast, Centro de Ayuda, and Citizens for Responsible Development in the Dalles.
To look back at ROP’s 2010, you can find ROPnets and stories from the year posted on our website at www.rop.org. Thank you all for another wonderful year!
Read MoreLessons and Inspiration from Egypt to Oregon
How do you feel about what is happening in Egypt? Inspired? Confused? Fearful? While we don’t know how this moment in history will end, we do know we are witnessing something big. As community organizers in small town Oregon we, too, are trying to create sparks. It is hard and requires perseverance, patience, being ready, luck, […]
Read MoreSingle Payer Healthcare in Oregon
Over the last few years ROP member groups have been advocating for fair and equitable access to healthcare for all our community members. This Legislative Session several ROP member groups, in partnership with ally organizations, have lead the charge calling for a Single Payer program in Oregon.
The Oregon Affordable Health Care for All Act HB 3510 is a major step toward health justice in Oregon and the nation. In Canada single payer programs began in one province and spread throughout that nation. Initiatives are underway in some 20 US states. If we can pass single payer legislation in Oregon, California (where it was twice vetoed by Schwarzeneger) and Washington, this can be the tipping point for single payer health throughout the US.
Read MoreFeb 2011 KTA: Time to PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR VALUES ARE!
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? The KTA for February 2011 is to claim space – with our legislators, in our newspapers, in our communities – for our vision of priorities in tough economic times. By leading with our values, we’ll use the power of our Human Dignity Groups to frame the way our communities talk about […]
Read MoreOregon State Bank Campaign – Fact Sheet
This Legislative Session Oregonians are demanding that we take Oregon’s money out of Wall Street Banks and put it into an Oregon State Bank, modeled after the Bank of North Dakota.
Put a Letter to the Editor or Op-Ed in your local paper. Download ROP’s Oregon State Bank Media Kit in Word or as a PDF
Download a 1 page Oregon State Bank Fact Sheet (pdf)
Download Oregon State Bank FAQs (pdf)
Read MoreCombating Wage Theft in Contingent Labor: 2011 Proposed Legislation
Employment laws today are failing to protect the basic workplace rights of all Oregon’s workers. Wage theft has become a common practice in many low-wage industries in Oregon and nationwide—a recent study of low-wage workers in three major US cities found that more than two-thirds of workers had suffered wage theft in the previous work week, including pervasive minimum wage and overtime violations. When employers steal wages and benefits it hurts everyone—the workers that don’t get paid, other workers whose standards are undermined, ethical employers who have to compete with scofflaws, communities robbed of local spending, and taxpayers who have to make up for the taxes that can’t be collected on unpaid wages.
This session we are seeing progress with two pieces of legislation that strengthens protections for workers in the construction industry. Download more information here:
SB 612-A Overview (pdf)
SB 612-A Action Information (doc) – phone and email script
Wage Theft Legislation Overview (doc)
Read MoreAct for Immigration Fairness in 2011
What to expect in the Oregon Legislature and in our communities this year
With the ever-increasing audacious proposals sweeping across the country that leave children nation-less or bar individuals from basic public services, we need to say enough is enough. Now is the time to tell our politicians and community members to bring the conversations back to supporting the core values of diversity, unity, and acceptance that we uphold as a country, state, and local community.
Download Immigration Fairness Overview for 2011 (pdf)
Read MoreROP and the Latino Movement: a rural retreat
As the color of rural Oregon shifts, so does our organizing. On February 5th, ROP will host our first ever Strategy Retreat for rural Latino groups. When ROP started in the early 1990s, Oregon was 4% of Latino descent – in 2009 that number was more than 11%. Counties that have seen the most growth are where there is a large demand for agricultural labor – in the orchards of Hood River and Wasco Counties, in the fields of the Willamette Valley & Southern Oregon, in the large-scale industries of Eastern Oregon.
Read MoreWhat does Beloved Community mean in these times?
As we struggle to make sense of these times and the Arizona shooting for ourselves and for our communities, Martin Luther King, Jr Day feels especially poignant this year. What does Beloved Community mean in these times?
Read MoreCommunity & Resilience in the Face of the Right
ROP got started in the early 1990s as a part of the “Fight the Right” movement. The initial human dignity groups that started ROP were on the frontlines in rural Oregon dealing with the Oregon Citizens Alliance’s (OCA) initiative to create a second-class citizenship for the LGBTQ community. The OCA was laying the foundation for a larger Rightist movement in this country by using Oregon as a testing ground for rolling back basic tenants of democracy.
Twenty years later, the strategies may be different, but the Right is still strongly impacting our communities and our country.
Read MoreThe Right’s next move in Oregon
This week, we received the news that Representative Kim Thatcher (R – Keizer) has introduced a package of bills that embody the most recent kind of attack on Oregon’s immigrant community.
It’s hard to believe what we’re confronting these days. That business-as-usual in politics is deportations of mothers, youth, and working people, attempts to deprive newborn children of a nationality, and now to require local officials – who are meant to serve and protect our communities – to root out community members who lack immigration papers.
Retiro de Estrategia el 5 de Febrero . . . Latino Strategy Retreat on February 5th
El 5 de Febrero del 2011, “Rural Organizing Project” (Proyecto Organización Rural, ROP por sus siglas en ingles) invita a lideres Latinos de todo Oregón a conectar, compartir y coordinar acción para apoyar del creciente movimiento de Derechos Latinos en zonas rurales en Oregón.
La participación es gratis aunque la registración es limitada. Las personas que trabajan dentro de organización dirigidas por Latinos para un cambio social en Oregón rural se les dará prioridad! Para mas información vea nuestro blog en: http://ruraloregonlatinoleadership.wordpress.com/
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On February 5th, 2011, the Rural Organizing Project invites Latino leaders from around Oregon to connect, share, and coordinate their action to support a growing Latino rights movement in rural Oregon.
It is free to attend, though registration is limited. People who work within Latino-led groups organizing for social change in rural Oregon will be given priority! For more information, see our blog at http://ruraloregonlatinoleadership.wordpress.com/
Read MoreROPs Top 10!
Are you ready for everything that 2011 will bring? Before we jump in too far, let’s take a moment to look back at some of the ROP highlights from 2010. Thanks to a powerful network of human dignity groups, a strong and visionary board, and a fabulous group of members and supporters, we have a lot […]
Read MoreA Thank You from Marcy
Dear ROP Community, I am proud to join you as a volunteer with Rural Organizing Project. I plan to stay active. Our fruitful teach-in Saturday, December 4th and celebration that same evening reminds me of why ROP stays my organizing home. For those who could not join us that Saturday night, I wanted to share […]
Read MoreJan 2011 KTA: Telling our Civil Rights Stories
What is your Civil Rights story? The KTA for January 2011 is to write our civil rights stories, on our terms, from our perspective.WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? Commissioner Brad Avakian who oversees the state’s Civil Rights Division is hosting a project to “document the historic and present day civil rights struggles experienced by our diverse Oregon communities.” The […]
Read MoreROP, the Right and YOU
ROP got started in the early 1990s as a part of the “Fight the Right” movement. The initial human dignity groups that started ROP were on the frontlines in rural Oregon dealing with the Oregon Citizens Alliance’s (OCA) initiative to create a second-class citizenship for the LGBTQ community. The OCA was laying the foundation for a larger Rightist movement in this country by using Oregon as a testing ground for rolling back basic tenants of democracy.
Community members became organizers after they decided they just wanted to go to the post office without being asked to sign discrimination into the Oregon constitution. They came together in living rooms to discuss what was happening in the country, what they were seeing in their communities, and whether this was the time to respond. They formed the first human dignity groups that then launched the ROP.
Read MoreFree Bradley Manning
Last week when over 100 veterans chained themselves to the White House gates, protesting passage of a Defense Appropriations Bill and resulting in one of the largest mass arrest in years, there was hardly a whisper in the news. ROP Leader, Mike Edera shares this thought piece for the ROP and progressive community:
The third week of December was dominated by raging debate over extending the Bush tax cuts to the wealthy, which will cost the nation $150 billion over two years. The liberal websites were awash in outrage. Meanwhile, in the same week, the House and Senate passed a $725 billion 2011 Defense Appropriation Act, which included almost $160 billion to continue the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Doing a Dec 18 search of Commondreams, Buzzflash, Truthout, and Truthdig, the only discussion I find of the Defense Appropriation Bill is about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (allowing gay people to serve in the military), and the Dream Act (helping undocumented immigrant youth to attend college, and to serve in the military), which were both originally included in the Defense Appropriation Bill (The Dream Act was stripped from the Bill. The abolition of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell passed as separate legislation).
True Stories from Rural Oregon
What would it look like if we were winning?
ROP groups excel at the slow work of doing what it takes to build a movement that does win: the thousands of conversations, the events, the networking, the busy bee doing of what real organizing takes. Another big part of winning is telling our story.
We may not be able to dominate the airwaves yet, but we can chip away at the existing dominate narrative, act like we are winning, and tell our story of who our community is and who it can be.
Read MoreResources
Tea Party Organizing in Oregon- Local Tea Party Event Described (pdf)
Read MoreA Day to Remember: ROP’s Roots & Wings Celebration
On Saturday, Dec. 4th the ROP community and friends came together to celebrate our 18 years of life, our leaders, and our power as a rural movement for justice. We shared stories, history, hopes and possibilities as we honored our Founder Marcy Westerling and celebrated our next generation of leadership. Before the party started though, […]
Read MoreInvading our Communities with our Values
On Monday night in Monmouth, Oregon, a church basement slowly filled up with a few dozen human dignity seekers. These people are from many different backgrounds. Some arrived from foreign countries, some were born in the US – identities cross and weave with politics, race, geography.
They make you wonder, is a tejana, born with brown skin in Texas, less American than a white man from San Diego? What about immigrants who go on to graduate from US high schools, or the newer immigrants they serve once they go to work – how long does it take to become American? Who gets to be an American?
Read MoreRoots and Wings
On Saturday, Dec. 4th the ROP community and friends came together to celebrate our 18 years of life, our leaders, and our power as a rural movement for justice. We shared stories, history, hopes and possibilities as we honored our Founder Marcy Westerling and celebrated our next generation of leadership. Before the party started though, […]
Read MoreResponding to crisis with our feet on the ground
In times of crisis and media hype, clarity can be hard to find. How do we stay grounded when the news is so chaotic? Yet it is the midst of crisis that we need to shake of the chaos and emerge in our communities as clear-eyed guides.
When I heard about the recent sting operation against Mohamed Osman Mohamud for trying to plan a bombing in Portland, I worked hard to see with those clear eyes. I started wondering, is Mohamud a dangerous sleeper cell terrorist waiting for the opportunity to strike? Or is he a misguided youth who happens to also be Somali and who fell into a bad FBI entrapment plan? What is right and wrong when it comes to our families’ security? Or our civil rights?
Read MoreHow to bring rural Oregon alive – 5 lessons
What does it mean when a small town paper runs a front page story that features three local community leaders who also identify as gay – a first for the leaders and the paper? What does it mean for the multiplex movie theater in town to host a movie that explores homophobia in rural America? And a standing room only crowd attends at 10:30 on a Saturday morning? What does it mean when an audience with different perspectives then discusses those differences through tears and honesty instead of the divisive politics of the last few decades?
As I read the headlines of the day (endless war, more tax breaks for the wealthy, Palin for President), it is these small ripples that seem to offer real organizing possibilities for enduring these times.
The OUT IN THE SILENCE tour of rural Oregon was a moment of dozens of such ripples. The legacy of statewide attacks on the LGBT community beginning in the late 80s is our strong web of relationships, analysis, and skills that made this film tour a huge success.
If you missed the tour, you can order copies of the film here.
Read MoreNov/Dec 2010 KTA: Honoring Our Human Rights Heroes
This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is to award a certificate to a community member(s) whose work strengthens one or more of the thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Over the years, this KTA has been repeated as an annual action because you tell us that this is a fun, easy, effective […]
Read MoreOut in the Silence Rural Oregon Tour gaining Momentum!
It’s official. The OUT IN THE SILENCE tour of rural Oregon has begun.
In the next 10 days, documentary filmmakers Joe Wilson & Dean Hamer will travel 1,500 miles and visit 15 Oregon communities, screening their award-winning film about the experience of being LGBT in rural America, and facilitating real dialogue about what it will take to achieve fairness, inclusion, and equality.
Read MoreWhat happened on election day and what should happen in the days after.
A thought piece shared by the Rural Organizing Project.
Crafted by ROP Leader Mike Edera.
What Happened on Tuesday November 2?
A man finds a rattlesnake that has been run over on a road. The snake is barely alive, and the man takes it home. He puts the snake in a box, gives it food and water, keeps it warm. Slowly the snake recovers. One day the man opens the box to give the snake some food and gets bit!
“How can you do this to me?” the man screams. “I took you in, and saved your life!”
“What do you expect?” the snake said. “I’m a snake!”
Since 2009, Barack Obama and the Democratic majority in the House and Senate have taken in snake after flattened snake.
Read More
Top 5 Reasons to Attend
Here are the top 5 reasons that you should buy your Roots & Wings ticket now!
1. Movement Reflection – While the October 26th Oregonian declares sections of rural Oregon in a depression era crisis, the predictable anger is most inappropriately focused on deepening the corporate government that got us into this mess. Gather with historical friends of the ROP (Tarso Ramos, Suzanne Pharr, Eric Ward, Scot Nakagawa) and ROP Founder Marcy Westerling to help problem solve actual organizing solutions for today. Join us to puzzle out this post election moment and test practical solutions for our hometowns.
2. Movement Cheer– One of the things that over and over again we hear from you is that ROP is like a far flung family that doesn’t get together enough. And when we do make time to be together this time nurtures and inspires us for the organizing at home. This is a time that we need that extra dose of community – and what better way to kick off your holiday season than with your ROP family. Let’s celebrate rural and small town human dignity activism, ROP history and our hopes at the Roots & Wings Celebration!
3. Nourishing The Roots & Spreading Our Wings – We do have so much to be proud of and to build upon – and the best way to do that is to share our stories, take time to remember where we come from and what we have been through together. We are making special invitations to ROP leaders from throughout our history to include the full depth of the many inspiring folks, like yourselves, who have made ROP who we are. As we move forward into the next phase of ROP, we have new possibilities on the horizon – from new leaders to new communities of support. As we grow and evolve, we know how important it is that we take these steps together, walking side by side down the new roads that we are charting.
4. Marcy Westerling – The past year at ROP has been a hard one for all of us who love Marcy dearly. Watching her battle it out with stage 4 ovarian cancer and conclude her first round of chemo, with all the obvious and unfathomably ups and downs. But this December, we get to celebrate with Marcy. And man, does Marcy like a good party! We get to honor her decades of organizing and celebrate her legacy of ROP – the thousands of lives she has changed, the impact on Oregon we have collectively made, and the organization that she has built and is now handing over to our new Director and her friend and colleague of 7 years, Cara Shufelt.
5. You – Yes, you! We need you to bring your own special take on ROP and rural & small town organizing to our celebration – whether you are a long time supporter or new found friend, whether you are an urban ally or from frontier Oregon, whether you have worked with a local human dignity group or only had occasional interactions with ROP. We need the full breadth of the Oregon rural progressive community to help us weave this celebration together. Each of you bring something unique and important to our movement – and we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.
Rural Oregon OUT IN THE SILENCE Tour
The Out in the Silence Tour is coming to rural Oregon!
Out in the Silence is a movement documentary – in that it brings to us a story of regular people entering into dialogue, stumbling, struggling, revealing their hearts – and the skilled filmmaking allows us to see this very human process as part of a bigger story. This film is courageous, thoughtful, patient, and gives us the strength to be so as well.
That’s why we are honored that longtime ROP friend Joe Wilson with his partner Dean Hamer, directors of the film Out in the Silence, will be joining us in rural Oregon for a whirlwind 10 day tour. Each stop on the tour will feature a film screening, and a conversation with the directors, but the true gems of the tour will be the facilitated community dialogues about what life is like for LGBTQ people in rural Oregon. For more background on the tour, see here.
The tour will be stopping in the following towns. Except for the Portland tour kick-off, all tour stops are free of charge, though optional donations towards tour costs will be accepted.
Read MoreNo Soy El Army finale & the future of cross-cultural organizing
Somewhere along the road of our two-week, 5-presenter, 16-stop, 600-participant No Soy El Army Justice Tour it became crystal clear – building deep relationships across race, class, age and culture is the most important thing Human Dignity Groups can do to make fundamental social change possible.
Read MoreResources for Out in the Silence organizers
If you are a tour stop organizer for the OUT IN THE SILENCE tour – here are some materials that may be useful to you:
* Tour stop organizing toolkit
* Media toolkit (including a press release)
* JPG Flyer in black and white, and another one in color
While the tour coming to rural Oregon is quite exciting, every day is an opportunity to screen the film in your community, at a library or other public space, and start the important dialogue about fairness, dignity, and inclusion for LGBTQ people. Contact us if you want to do this, and we’d love to support you! Also check out these materials:
* Out in the Silence Discussion Guide by Active Voice
* Recommendation from the American Library Association
* Review of Out in the Silence from Christianity Today
Read MoreTrue Costs of a Prison Society: A look at Measure 73
Measure 73 is going to be on the ballots that Oregonians will receive in just a few days. We believe that this is the most troubling measure that voters will confront this election cycle. It brings together two unrelated types of crimes – sexual violence, and DUIs – and hijacks an appropriate emotional response to rack up an easy win for prison expansion. And while Measure 73 would cost us Oregon more money and take control away from our judges and juries, and not make our state any safer.
In rural Oregon, especially in these times of economic recession, prisons are a tricky issue. People who live in jail or prison towns like Ontario, Pendleton, Wilsonville, or Madras, may feel that our communities rely on the funding that comes with the prison industry to provide important jobs and economic activity. It’s proven that the “lock ‘em up” mentality gains political traction in elections, even if not in the long run.
Read More3 Films Towards a Welcoming Community
This message brings you 3 opportunities to raise consciousness and build relationships in your community. Allow me to present three films that have been pre-selected by yours truly here at ROP, and are guaranteed to educate and inspire. These films demonstrate an imaginative approach to difficult subjects touching our hearts along the way. They inspire new ideas for rising to the challenge of these times, ideas to overcome division & fear tactics through sharing our stories, hopes & dreams.
Each film comes with its own perks and unique angle – read carefully to find which one is the best fit for you. Then, let us know which one you’re going to screen in your community in the next few months; we can help with discussion ideas or other ways to make your screening fun & worthwhile.
Read MoreSupporting the next generation of queer rural youth
** Check out photos and videos from the event, Remember Your Roots **
Rural, urban, rich or poor – it is still tough to be gay. Across the country we are hearing stories of LGTBQ youth committing suicide, like the New Jersey student who threw himself off the bridge rather than be outed by his homo-phobic roommate. Here at home, Oregonians were outraged to hear that a student teacher was removed from his position after revealing to his students that he is gay. We’ve come a long way since Measure 9, but we are not there yet.
Our history of queer justice, tolerance and anti-hate work at ROP stretches back almost two decades. It’s a proud history of struggle and victory that has paved the way for today’s youth to have safer and more secure communities.
Here is one story about our newest generation of queer justice organizers.
Baker City High School Gay-Straight Alliance
ROP hosted an event recently with the Baker City High School Gay-Straight Alliance that was saturated with the joyful support and community building that we all need to feel right now.
Jessica, Alice, along with their friend Chelse, founded the Baker City High School Gay-Straight Alliance during the final weeks of school in the spring of 2009. They are organizing, challenging conservative cultural norms and making their community a tolerant place for all people.
The GSA joins a long tradition of people in Baker taking a stand in the name of equality and justice for the LGBTQ community. People in Baker County, often through the Baker County People for Human Dignity, have been working since the early 1990’s to make their county a welcoming and tolerant community.
To show our support for the bravery & commitment of the GSA, ROP recently hosted an event in their honor called Remember Your Roots: support the next generation of queer rural youth.
The event was heart-bearing & joyful. We collected about 400 books, zines, CDs, and movies for the GSA to take back to Baker City to start a Queer Resource Center in their High School. The event was a powerful affirmation of the youth’s work and it was also a positive space for adult queers & allies to hear about their stories of being unabashedly out & proud in frontier Oregon.
Spaces like this one is where we build community and these collective experiences are what makes social movements possible. Imagine if there was a place where the groundbreaking HDGs could support and build relationship with those who are just emerging as human dignity advocates. That combonation would be a powerful force!
We recorded videos at the event asking adult queers to share some thoughts with the next generation of rural queer youth. Share these wonderful short videos with people in your life!
What would you say to your teenage self about the struggle for social justice? What inspires you when you feel overwhelmed by the difficulties of social justice work? What are your memories of how being a part of ROP helped you become the activist you are today? Record your thoughts in 3 minutes or less and send them to us! We want to know! We want to be inspired!
Read MoreSTAND voter guides now available online!
Easy to Download 2010 STAND Voter Guide 
STAND Guide is ROP’s Voter Guide written by and for rural and small town Oregon. It is a great source for information about what is going on each election, as we lay out the measures and discuss current issues affecting our home town communities.
While it is great being able to hold and flip through our freshly printed 2010 STAND guides, we realize that sometimes it is easier to access online. Share these articles with family, friends and neighbors, print them as needed and order copies of the Guide today!
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Media from Brunch to Support Queer Rural Youth
Photos from Remember Your Roots: brunch to support the next generation of queer rural youth, featuring the Baker City High School Gay-Straight Alliance.
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Oct 2010 KTA: Personalizing this Electoral Moment
Voter Courtesy Call Script: Word, PDF Sample Group Flyer Insert for Voter Guide: Page 1 (HDG description): Word, PDF Page 2 (County Cost of War Stats): Word, PDF Sample Email Script: Word, PDF ROP groups and members have a long history of personalizing voter engagement- making it not a machined exercise in voter turnout, […]
Read MoreElection Reflections from ROP
It’s tempting to not get very involved this election cycle, isn’t it? Frankly, after our last big round in 2008 and what’s happened since- the lack of bold action from our candidates- doesn’t exactly inspire me to take action for November 2nd.
Yet, I am thinking back to 2000, and I remember so clearly how a president was chosen by the US Supreme Court. We were angry with the power and the positioning that allowed this decision to be made, but I was even more disheartened with the fact that the election could even be close enough that the Court could get away with naming a President. That electoral year many of us put a lot of our heart and soul into the turnout efforts. I remember the conversations I had with some newer voters that said to me, "really, what is the difference between Bush and Gore?" I think we can all testify that in fact, it would have been different if Gore had become president, perhaps not all that what we wanted, but different.
Read MoreNo Soy El Army – on the road again
** Second leg of the No Soy El Army Justice Tour starts September 26th,
see full tour schedule below.**
During one of those perfect Oregon weeks in late August, the Rural Organizing Project packed up our little car with a folder full of maps, a case of translation headsets, a bilingual translator and two amazing visiting organizers. We drove to 6 communities where the presenters spoke of their personal experiences with the military – the seduction for them as youth, its violence towards them &, ultimately, their organizing against the militarization of their communities.
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The August leg of the No Soy El Army Tour was a huge success. From a park in Hermiston to a church basement in Newport, people talked about peace abroad, peace in our own communities, and opportunities for our rural & Latino youth beyond graduation.
No Soy El Army Media Hits
No Soy El Army Justice Tour in the Media
- August 25th Interview on KBOO with Lisa Loving: http://kboo.fm/node/23331
- Oct 1st Photobooth at the No Soy El Army finale event Opt-Out party, thank you Bloodhound Photography!
ROP’s election work
ROP’s election work is based on the idea that one-on-one communication that is sincere and from our neighbors is the most effective method of making change. Member groups make plans, go door-to-door, host ballot measure forum and write letters to the paper each election cycle in an effort to strengthen democracy and engage people in the movement for social justice long after the election has passed.
Go here for information about past election work and ROP’s STAND Voter Guide
Read MoreROP’s STAND Voter Guides Now Available!
Preview the 2010 STAND Voter Guide in pdf here.
Download individual articles and graphic from the STAND guide too!
Local group flyer insert, courtesy call script, sample email – tools to personalize your voter engagement work this election cycle.
STAND Guides are already in the mail to groups that have made orders. If you would like more STAND guides to distribute in your community, contact us at the ROP: 503-543-8417 or cara(at)rop.org.
This year’s STAND Guide features:
- Ballot Measure Grid: Short evaluation on the ballot measures and suggestions on how to vote pro-democracy
- Suggestions on how to chose a candidate
- Analysis on where we put our money and why in a tough fiscal year
- Local examples of Hometown Strategies for building a fair economy
- "How is the War Economy Working for You?" with county by county data
** Did you know that Veterans for Peace has a campaign called "How is the War Economy Working for You?" Brilliant! Check out their campaign & get involved here. **
Read MoreRemembering a Tragedy with Solidarity and Justice
It is September 2010, the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, and where do we find ourselves? In the news lately is the Islamic Community Center and mosque that is to be built near ground zero, which has become a lightning rod for a range of opinions showing both the faces of the Welcoming America that values and respects diversity, and the darker Intolerant America. Many media outlets continue to pitch us a vision of Muslims as extremist followers of a radical Islam bent on violence and the destruction of our culture – but what is the vision that we know is true, and how do we use this as a chance to promote unity?
Read MoreAllies & immigrants organizing to defend our neighbors
Secure Communities is now a reality in 3 counties in Oregon – Clackamas, Marion, and Multnomah – and is scheduled to be implemented in a fourth this month – Washington County. Secure Communities is a program run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that makes it easier than ever for them to find and deport members of our communities – and a program that relies heavily on local cooperation.
It’s becoming clear that while local law enforcement’s priority may be public safety, the priority of ICE is to deport as many people as possible. These two goals are at odds. This constant threat of deportation causes huge insecurity in our communities of color, and it costs us over $20,000 for each person who is deported. Is deporting members of our communities worth the human and financial cost? Human Dignity activists in Bend and Lincoln think not…
Read MoreROP in the Media
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.
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/
Sep 2010 KTA: STAND Guides are Coming!
Why this Activity? The 2010 election in Oregon is going to be all about turnout. The ballot measures are fewer and predominantly less contentious this year. This means that our eyes and interests this election cycle fall primarily on the candidates running for office. And the outcomes of these races will be determined by just how […]
Read MoreNo Soy El Army Kicks Off!
The No Soy El Army Tour is on its way! The Tour will be in stopping in 12 different communities in Oregon, from August 26-30 and September 26-Oct 1. Full Tour schedule is below.
Latino veterans and youth activists will dialogue with community members about the connections
between the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on immigrants here in the US. This tour is the
first Spanish-language tour in Oregon that focuses on the experiences of Latino veterans and shares specific alternatives to military enlistment for youth after high school!
Read More
OUT IN THE SILENCE filmmakers come to rural Oregon
We are proud to announce the OUT IN THE SILENCE Statewide Conversations Tour, which will bring celebrated filmmakers of this powerful documentary to rural and small-town Oregon from November 4th to 14th!
ROPers believe in the radical idea that the people should be safe in our communities, safe to live, work, and love whoever they please. And it’s true that such a core human value has become radical in these times. Whether we’re talking about LGBTQ families or immigrant families, we know that for many of our neighbors, the right to live safely and with the freedom to exist is not a given.
Read MorePersonal ad for a Graphic Designer
Seeking – the Graphic designer of our dreams! Offering – a love that will last a life time.
ROP needs a kick ass graphic artist that will donate services (or provide them at a very affordable rate) to creating a piece of literature that holds high the values of human dignity and just democracy that will been seen by over 30,000 people this election cycle!
You are: incredibly talented but humble, have a desire to communicate to the masses through graphics, have mastered a bold but simple design style, can work well with timeline driven staff of a nonprofit. And you are eager to make sure that ROP and its fantastic community of human dignity groups have the best Get Out the Vote product imaginable. You see graphic work as part of your contribution to the movement for social justice.
We are: needing someone’s skill this month to make sure that our history of providing one of the most used voter education pieces, a simple guide to all Oregon ballot measures and the most pressing issues of the day, gets continued. We are great cheerleaders, will provide stimulating and provocative text and will insure that you product gets talked about as it hand delivered throughout the state this fall.
What else could a talented graphic artist ask for?
Intrigued? Interested? We are hoping to get started right away, so I look forward to hearing from you right now!
Contact Cara at cara@rop.org
Read MoreOrder Your STAND Voter Guides by August 27th!
Order your STAND Voter Guides by August 27th! ** Exciting EXTENSION for the order deadline. Orders are now due on September 1st! ** Follow this link to check out the 2008 STAND Voter Guide as a sample of what to expect for this year. Personal Ad for the Graphic Designer of our dreams… now seeking! […]
Read MoreAugust RMC: SB1070
Today, July 29, 2010, a law takes effect that targets undocumented people living in Arizona’s communities, SB1070.
Yesterday, we won a significant victory when the courts struck down the most egregious parts of the law. The peoples’ voices always rise before the court’s decisions, so with this sign of progress we will continue fighting the remainder of this unjust law.
ROP and HDGs have a long history of letting values of human dignity and democracy be our guide through the seas of cultural change. As we celebrate this small victory for basic human decency & prepare ourselves to continue the work of diffusing the wedge of hate in our own communities, let’s take a minute to realign with what we know to be true.
Piecemeal immigration laws like SB 1070 do not represent our values:
1. This law tears communities apart. These laws and programs play on people’s fears and stereotypes about immigrants and make our communities less safe. They dehumanize our neighbors through use of terms like "criminal alien" that seek to create an "us and them". This law literally creates an "us" versus "them" by making immigrants out to be criminals and making it a felony to give rides to or homes to undocumented people. Wedges do not build community.
2. This law doesn’t address the root causes: economic collapse in the US and in Latin America. We see hatred rising out of citizen’s fear that there is not enough jobs, enough money or enough space. The clouds of prosperity have evaporated and left the social fault lines visible. And immigrants have no economic security either in their home countries or as potentially exploited workers here in the US. This is about US economic policy, not about the people trying to feed their families or make a life in our towns.
3. This law targets a specific population of people for persecution based mainly on race. Despite the fact that the most egregious racial profiling elements were blocked from becoming law, SB1070 still targets the Latino population through police and ICE collaboration. No matter what the laws intentions, the outcome is that white supremacist groups are aligning with anti-immigrant groups to do armed border patrols. Actions speak louder than words; and neither represent human dignity or welcoming communities.
ROP and Human Dignity Groups are in good company: resources that break through hate and inform our directions for the future:
1. Fantastic one page document from the Center for Community Change that looks at What was Blocked by the courts, What is now law and What we need to do. Simple & effective.
2. Sweet Honey in the Rock, Are We a Nation Music Video. Just to enjoy.
3. The Safe Communities Project, which ROP is a part of, produced this piece of street theater about the collaboration between local police and ICE titled: The Doomed Wedding
4. The North American Congress on Latin America produced this article tracing the history of SB1070 and the between the law, the nation, the economy and prison system. A thorough read on the situation.
Action matters: Uniting our voices from Oregon to Arizona
We made a lasting impact. Our work over the past months to demand a more just and humane immigration policy and to stand against the policies laid out so starkly in SB 1070 are a part of yesterday’s success. It is possible to move our communities toward a positive vision of immigration justice. Now, we move forward!
1. Renew your vigilance to working on your local immigration justice efforts, working to stop "Secure Communities", and working to build a Welcoming Oregon.
2. Take a minute right now to write a letter to your local newspaper expanding on one of the ways that SB1070 does not represent our values and share your support for immigrants in your own community. See below for a sample letter.
Sample letter for August:
Dear Editor,
I’m glad that at least part of AZ SB1070 was blocked by the courts; it shows that there is movement for a positive vision for immigration justice. Unfortunately Judge Bolton allowed to stand a provision that makes it a crime to "harbor" or "transport" an undocumented immigrant. This is a dangerous provision that will have consequences for advocates, human rights workers, church leaders and especially mixed-status families. It will now be a crime for a U.S. citizen to live with a loved one who is undocumented, or to drive them to work, to school, to a hospital or even to an immigration office to deal with their status. I want our law makers to know that SB1070 does not represent our communities values. I want a community where we welcome immigrants and we hold high the importance of diversity. I want to live in a place where no one lives in fear of being ripped from their family. I want to support my neighbors, friends and fellow parents that live in our town as immigrants. These laws are a bad path for our country and need to be repealed.
Your name, address, and phone.
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No Soy El Army Justice Tour – Planning a stop
Local Host guide to the No Soy El Army Tour
1. Commitments we ask every local host to make:
- Each ROP-coordinated stop must be hosted by a paid member group of the ROP (get your $50 dues in!)
- Pull together a diverse team of individuals that will bottom-line the details and logistics of the stop.
- Actively have dialogue with and seek committed participation from local Latino groups and Latino leadership in the community early on in the planning. Think less about ‘recruitment’ and more about building relationships.
- Reach out to youth and school programs for participation from faculty and students.
- Do either (or both) a pre-tour cross-cultural event or a post-tour cross-cultural event to build connections between the various communities involved with the tour (for example, a film showing, attend an event in the Latino community or have a dinner party for new friends).
2. The Event Plan:
Local groups are encouraged to develop a plan that best suits your local organizing objectives. ROP staff will be available to help think through and provide feedback on local plans.
Plans should include:
- Outreach (individual & organizational),
- logistics,
- program for the event,
- language access (translation (ROP will help w this)),
- volunteers (day of),
- publicity, and
- how the tour fits into your long term organizing program.
3. Event Agenda
The basic structure of each stop: 3 hour slot of time, one hour should be used for food & fellowship, two hours then reserved for the event itself.
Basic agenda:
- A local person opens up the event with a welcome and a short bit about what your group is, what the tour is, why you all decided to host and who the presenters are.
- The presenter(s) will share their experiences with the military, recruitment, and anti-war organizing in the Latino and peace communities. (Will vary by presenter).
- Questions, answers and discussion with the audience. The presenters can be facilitators of a discussion, one of the local organizers or ROP can play this role. It should probably be someone that speaks Spanish.
- Wrapping up with a positive look at local organizing possibilities, next steps and information about alternatives for youth and opting-out of the military’s database.
- A local person closes the event, asks for donations, sharing their favorite moment, next steps in the local organizing and how folks in the room can get involved, thanking the presenters.
Invite the leads of sponsoring groups (especially the Latino communities and youth groups) to have input on the local agenda. Local groups can definitely play with this model and come up with a plan and agenda that will work well for your community.
4. Costs: We ask that each stop help off-set the costs of this ambitious tour by:
- Providing a meal at the event, simple or home cooked is fine, but real food is preferred.
- Provide housing for the presenters and organizers if there is an overnight stop in your town (probably 2-3 people). Seek out the donation of a local hotel, or provide rooms in community housing, a private room is much preferred over a living room or common space.
- Pass the hat at the event and split the proceeds between your local HDG and the ROP – help us keep doing this important work and help yourselves get some funds too. This is not required, but is a fantastic idea.
5. Materials
Provided electronically from ROP:
- General event description (English/Spanish)
- Tour announcement outreach email – generic (English/Spanish)
- Full Tour press release & presenter bios (English/Spanish)
- Various peace, anti-war, cost of war, counter-recruitment materials for the event (English/Spanish)
- Sign in sheet (English/Spanish)
Local responsibility:
- Local flyer or specific announcement for your community
- Information about local organizing
- Any specific materials that you are interested in having at your event
6. Event site wish list, ideal but not required:
- Microphone
- Tables (at least one reserved for translation equipment needs)
- Separate area for children and child care volunteer
- Projector that connects to a laptop (we provide) and wireless internet
Read More
No Soy El Army Justice Tour — Speaker Bios
No Soy El Army Peace Tour Speakers:
- Jesus Palafox – Jesus is a student and an organizer with the Youth and Militarism project and Truth in Recruiting program with AFSC in Illinois.
- Maricela Guzman – Maricela served in the US Navy. She now works for the Women of Color Action Center in the LA area. Her focus is working with women to expose the truth of military service and its effects on young women.
- Pablo Paredes– Founder of Bay Peace: Better Alternatives for Youth also creating the Bay Peace Youth Manifesto; a document created by youth about truth in recruiting. Also a member of NOMMY, Youth & Militarism Task Force and is the first conscientious objector to the current occupancy.
- Sergio España – Sergio is a young activist from Baltimore who was one of the founders of the Civilian Solider Alliance. Civilian Soldier Alliance is a national organization of civilians working with veterans and active-duty service-members to build a GI resistance movement towards a just foreign policy.
- Wendy Pantoja Castillo – Wendy is a Mexican peace activist from the city of Mérida, Yucatán, where she organized against the Iraq war before she immigrated to the US in recent years. She continues to be a community organizer, and is currently active in the immigrant rights and the peace movement in Tacoma, Washington. She supports Coffee Strong, a cafe at Ft. Lewis run by GI war resisters.
* Note: Not all speakers will be at each stop; usually 2 presenters will be at each stop. *
No Soy El Army Tour – Spanish Presenter Bios
Biografías de los Presentadores:
Presentadoresde la gira de paz ‘No Soy El Army’:
- Jesús Palafox – Jesús es un estudiante y organizador con el proyecto de Juventud y Militarismo y la programa ‘Verdad en Reclutamiento’ con AFSC (American FriendsServiceCommittee) en Chicago.
- Maricela Guzman – Maricela sirvió en la Armada del EEUU. Ahora ella está trabajando para el Centro de Acción de Mujeres de Color en Los Angeles. Ella está enfocada en trabajo con mujeres para exponer la verdad del servicio militar y su impacto en mujeres jóvenes.
- Pablo Paredes– Fundador de BayPeace: Mejor Alternativas para la Juventud, también ha creado el Manifestó del Juventud de BayPeace: un documento hecho por juventud sobre verdad en reclutamiento. También él es un miembro de NOMMY, Equipo de Trabajo de Juventud y Militarismo, y fue el primer objetor de consciencia a la ocupación de Irak.
- Sergio España – Sergio es un activista de Baltimore que fue una de los fundadores de la Alianza de Civiles y Soldados (CivilianSoldier Alliance). CivilianSoldier Alliance es una organización nacional de civiles trabajando con veteranos y soldados en servicio activo para construir el movimiento de resistencia de Gis a una política extranjera justa.
- Wendy Pantoja Castillo – Wendy es una activista mexicana por la paz de la ciudad de Mérida, Yucatán, donde organizaba en contra de la guerra con Iraq antes de inmigrar a los EU en los años recientes. Es una organizadora comunitaria y actualmente se involucra con el movimiento pro migrante y el movimiento por la paz en Tacoma, Washington. Ella apoya CoffeeStrong, una cafetería en Fort Lewis administrada por resistentes de la guerra
* Atención: Todos los presentadores no estarían presente en cada parada, serian dos presentadores. *
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Translators needed!
The August and September the Rural Organizing Project, AFSC and PCUN are teaming up to bring the No Soy El Army Justice Tour to Oregon. See description below!
We are in needed of skilled translators (Spanish and English) for nine different stops in rural Oregon. We have a small pool of funds available for translators, amount per person will depend on the number of translators.
Skills:
* Must have experience doing simultaneous translation using headset equipment.
* Must be able to translate both from Spanish into English and vice versa.
* Must either ride with Tour organizers on for more than one day road trips or have own transportation.
Dates and stops:
Date Time Location
Wed, 8/25/2010 evening Eugene
Fri, 8/27/2010 madras
Sat, 8/28/2010 afternoon (12-3) Hermiston
Sat, 8/28/2010 evening (5-8) TBD
Sun, 8/29/2010 noon-3 Newport
Sun, 8/29/2010 5-8pm Corvallis
Mon, 8/30/2010 evening TBD
Sund, Sept 26 evening Medford
Mon, Sept 27 evening Forest Grove
Tues, Sept 28 12-2pm Forest Grove
The No So El Army Justice Tour description:
No Soy El Army Bilingual Justice Tour is coming!
Come together to share how the wars on immigrants, youth, the poor and abroad are affecting our town and your family.
War is present in our community whether our children are being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, federal agents are deporting our families, or the war on poor is cutting our most vital services. Latino veterans and activists on this tour will share how we can combat the different facets of war in our home towns and lead a discussion on the biggest threat that you see for the future of your family and what alternatives exist for youth graduating from high school beyond the military.
No Soy El Army features Latino Veterans and Activist who will share their experiences with fighting in and against the wars at home and abroad. We will discuss how war and the military affect the local communities, hear your experiences and learn about alternatives for youth considering the military.
If you are interested, contact Cara at cara@rop.org or 503.543.8417
Include your name, contact information, brief synopsis about your experience translating and dates that you are available.
Thank you so much!
Aug 2010 KTA: Town Halls – Democracy, Summer Style
As the summer adventures nip at our heels, many of us are taking roadtrips to the far reaches of Oregon – from Hells Canyon in Wallowa County to the Tropical rain forests of Curry County, rural Oregon is a destination. This month, our elected officials will be doing the same thing, stopping in small town […]
Read MoreSB 1070 – A day both bitter & slightly sweet
Today, July 29, 2010, a law takes effect that targets undocumented people living in Arizona’s communities, SB1070.
Yesterday, we won a significant victory when the courts struck down the most egregious parts of the law. The peoples’ voices always rise before the court’s decisions, so with this sign of progress we will continue fighting the remainder of this unjust law.
ROP and HDGs have a long history of letting values of human dignity and democracy be our guide through the seas of cultural change. As we celebrate this small victory for basic human decency & prepare ourselves to continue the work of diffusing the wedge of hate in our own communities, let’s take a minute to realign with what we know to be true.
No Soy El Army Justice Tour Resources
No Soy El Army Justice Tour
August 25-30 & Sept 26-Oct 1, 2010
Check back regularly for updates and new documents. Want something that you don’t see? Let me know: cara@rop.org
Resources for Tour hosts:
- Tour Schedule **Updated for September stops!**
- Planning for your Tour Stop
- Invitation asking organizations to Co-Sponsor your stop
- Email Announcement English Spanish
- ROPnet – Tour description "No Soy El Army Justice Tour Coming to Oregon"
Press Packet kit for local hosts:
- Tour Presenters Bios – bilingual
- Flyers (PDF) – English Spanish English-Color jpeg
- Flyers (Word) – Less political (good for social serivce agencies or schools) English Spanish
- Press Release – Local Template General Statewide Version
* * On the flyers, since some of these are Word Documents, some of the text might look askew or the font might appear odd, that simply means that you don’t have the font that we used installed on your computer. Feel free to fix this and use whatever font is most readable to you. If you’d like pdf’s they can also be downloaded above, but will not be edit-able. **
questions? contact Cara at cara@rop.org.
Read More
Love Letter to our Member Groups
This past week, I went to see the film 9500 Liberty with my coworker Kari Koch, ROP board member Steve Milligan, and a few other friends. The film tells the story of Prince Williams County, Virginia – and a painful political moment that arose when a local group decided to pass an Arizona-style law legalizing […]
Read MoreNo Soy El Army Justice Tour Resources
Information for Justice Tour Hosts
- Planning for your stop on the No Soy El Army Justice Tour
- Tour Schedule
- Invitation for potential co-sponsors (English, Spanish coming soon!)
Information for Presenters
Coming Soon!
Read MoreNo Soy El Army coming to Rural Oregon
- Resources for the Tour hosts
- Media about the Tour
- August Tour Kick Off message
- Report from August leg & September Kick Off message
- Photos of the Tour
The Rural Organizing Project is excited to announce the No Soy El Army Peace Tour
coming to rural Oregon in August 2010.
What is No Soy El Army?
Human Dignity Groups are invited to host a stop on the No Soy El Army 2010 Tour in Oregon to open a dialogue between the traditional peace community and Spanish-speaking and Latino communities about war, military recruitment, race and cross-community organizing.
No Soy El Army will present bilingual (English/Spanish) military veterans and community leaders from across the US speaking about their personal experiences and facilitating a dialogue about the experiences of those in the room, then offering concrete information about the military and alternatives for youth.
Read More
No Soy El Army – Tour Sign-Up
Complete this form to request to host a stop on the No Soy El Army Peace Tour, August 25-30, 2010.
Completion of this form does not guarantee you a spot on the Tour, but instead, indicates your interest. Tour organizers will compile all available information and schedule the stops of the tour based on geography, time and local Host’s plan for cross-cultural community collaboration in the project.
All hosts must commit to:
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All hosts will provide housing for the presenters and organizers (may include up to three people, community housing is fine), food for the event, thoughtful community and media outreach, and to create an outreach plan that attempts to get at least 25 attendees to the event.
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We are encouraging hosts to coordinate with schools to encourage youth to participate in the event. Ideally the stops will be organized by or in conjunction with a local Latino organization for each community.
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In addition, stops will be encouraged to host pre-Tour events to build relationships between peace and Latino communities before the Tour arrives in town. (For example, a showing of the movie Papers or Frozen Dreams).
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Fundraising. The Tour is a FREE offer from ROP for our member groups; however, we encourage all groups to use this event to fundraise through a ‘pass the hat’ or donation at the door to help support the costs of the Tour.
We will let you know when the Tour schedule has been established!
Saying goodbye with gratitude and hope
Dear ROPnet, Two nights ago, I tasted hope. It’s sweetness came not from the homemade strawberry shortcake at our living room conversation on thorny immigration issues, nor from the soon-to-be flourishing produce in Newberg’s newly completed community garden. Rather, that delicious sense of possibility came from Keyla, a young Latina organizer, who enthusiastically shared her […]
Read MoreJuly 2010 KTA: Your Human Dignity Group on the Web!
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? Imagine you’ve just moved to a new small town. Naturally, you want to learn more about the place and its people. And you’re hungry to get involved in local efforts to stand up for democracy, justice and peace. What’s the first thing you do? Well, you might start with an internet search […]
Read MoreJuly RMC: What is Your Immigration Story?
In Oregon, July is a celebration of community on every level – from the block party, to the state fair, to the national celebration of US independence from European colonialism. We know that there are ugly histories interwoven with our national story (with injustices against Native cultures at the top of the list), but we also know that pride and celebration of our country is a bridge that speaks to our neighbors. In the spirit of community, the July RMC message is about migration, laying roots and acceptance.
Immigrants are not only workers in our towns; they are also parents, congregation members, baseball coaches, and participants in keeping our communities vibrant & growing.This month, the RMC is pleased to share the stories of some ROP members that also are new immigrants, generational immigrants and those perceived as immigrants, who call Oregon home.
Share your own family story of immigration, invite a friend to share theirs, or pull from the stories below. Write a letter that shares how you value the role of immigrants in our history, and in our future, and also how acceptance has long been a challenge – but that ultimately the moral arc of our community curves toward unity and justice.
Sample letter for July:
Dear Editor,
One of my family’s proudest stories is the tale of how my great-grandfather snuck in on the boat from Eastern Europe and traveled cross country on a train cattle car with nothing but a satchel and a new pair of shoes that he had bought in Prague to prepare for his long journey to a new home. He was known as a WOP, without papers (undocumented in those days). He settled in Kentucky, and wore out those new shoes tilling the clay soil to grow turnips and grains to feed himself and his countryside community. I carried on his tradition of seeking out a new home by packing a satchel of my own and heading here to Oregon on a greyhound bus, setting down roots and doing everything I can to contribute to my new homeland.
This July, when I think of my own family’s migration, I am so glad that today’s immigrants, documented or not, are choosing rural Oregon for their new home. I welcome them as brothers and sisters to help build ___ (my town) as beautiful and thriving a place. I am excited to live in a community where new faces are welcomed and appreciated for the long hard journey they took and the chance that let them land in my neighborhood. Happy 4th of July neighbor, friend, countryman!
Name, Address, Phone number
Stories to Share
Yesenia, Columbia County,
Latinos Unidos Para un Futuro Mejor
I’m 21 years old and my family has lived in St. Helens for thirteen years. My sense of community started with my sense of family. I think the most important thing about the concept of "community" is that it is a support system that motivates individuals and gives life to the spaces and places that we call home.
What is a city without a community? Just a bunch of buildings, and individuals with no sense of common purpose and no connection to each other. My parents taught me that helping others is the most useful thing that I could do with my life and that is what I intend to do.
To think that if my parents hadn’t immigrated when they were young that I wouldn’t be here is hard to fathom. Oregon is my home, the place that has shaped the person I have become. I do not know who I would have been without it.
Keyla, Yamhill County,
Newberg Coalition for Human Dignity
All the while we were in Mexico [over 13 years ago] my parents moved us from place to place looking for work. As a young adult I moved a lot, not because of work, but because I was looking for a place where I would feel safe, at peace, a place where I and my future family could call home.
Newberg has been the place that I’ve picked to raise a family. I only knew one person here in town so that’s what motivated me to volunteer, to make new friends. A group of volunteers and I have been working on a community garden for the past 2 years and it’ll be completed in July ’10. But I’ve never been so proud and passionate about a project like our community garden here in Newberg.
This town has felt like home ever since I’ve moved here and I’m not leaving 🙂 I’m here to contribute to my community, to my town, Newberg.
Read More
Wish You Were Here! A Postcard from Detroit!
Greetings from the US Social Forum! Here in the heart of downtown Detroit, there is a sense that a new movement is brewing. Organizations and leaders, volunteers and activists, folks who care about their communities and care about our country have come together to declare “Another World is Possible, Another US is Necessary.” Conversations, workshops […]
Read MoreROP hits the streets to protest deportations!
On June 15th ROP joined CAUSA and SEIU Local 503 in the streets to protest Immigration & Custom Enforcement’s relationship with local law enforcement and call for an end to deportations. Immigrants, allies and friends rallied and marched through the streets in front of one of the largest ICE facilities in the Northwest.
CAUSA continues to lead the call in Oregon for "reform, not deportation!" (one of our rallying calls at the rally & march). ROPers and local leaders around the state have added their voices to the call for justice, fairness and a humane immigration system. Folks from Central Oregon traveled in for this event to add their fire to the march with drumming and chanting. ROP Board Chair, Kathy Paterno added in her voice for the media on behalf of the ROP community (see the story below).
Read MoreJoin us in saying NO to ICE in our Communities!
"We want to see the hardworking Latino members of our rural communities acknowledged and appreciated, not harassed, exploited and deported. Local law enforcement requires good relationships and trust in order to keep everyone safe – but ICE’s involvement in our local communities is jeopardizing that trust. What we need is a fundamental overhaul of our nation’s broken immigration system to prevent further erosion of our communities."
– Kathy Paterno, Rural Organizing Project Board President, Crook County, OR
Join ROP & our friends at CAUSA for a march and rally – June 15th in Portland!
Read MoreICE and Local Law Enforcement
Check out this page for an overview and a list of additional resources regarding collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local law enforcement.
Read MoreA Hello From Marcy
Marcy Westerling: A kickass community organizer dedicated to the notion that small town Americana is filled with justice seeking souls that deserve support as well as have the power to bridge the false cultural divides of our times. Proud founder of Rural Organizing Project in 1992. Derailed by Stage IV Cancer in Spring of 2010. […]
Read MoreFeeding the Organizing Soul
As organizers and activists, we have an important vocation, and we take it seriously. Sometimes this means that we have to put our heads down and get caught in a flurry of meetings, actions, and activity. But it is also important to take time to celebrate the cycle of organizing – to celebrate our victories, reinvigorate ourselves, […]
Read MoreStrategies to Expand our Movement
Strategies to Expand our Movement for Peace and Justice
Below are strategies that groups organizing for peace and justice are using. As we work here in
June 2010 KTA: I Scream, You Scream…
We all scream for… Social Change! (and Ice Cream!) WHY THIS ACTIVITY? ROP often highlights the three keys to a Human Dignity Group’s success: 1. a committed, named leadership team, 2. effective communication systems, and 3. a strategic action plan. But this month, we want to focus on three different, yet critical elements that […]
Read MoreWhat makes you feel safe?
Welcoming Message – June 2010:
I want my town to be a place where neighbors, across races or immigration status, work together so that all people are safe, treated fairly & can live free from fear.
This month we ask you to share your story of what makes a community safe for all people? What does real security look like? From the debate in
Let’s look deeper:
- The Arizona law has made police fearful of destroying long built relationships with the Latino community;
- The AZ law was initiated because predominantly white citizens are afraid of Latino people becoming too big of a majority & having ‘ethnic solidarity’;
- Often Latino citizens support these anti-undocumented laws because they are afraid of being targeted alongside their oppressed sisters and brothers;
- Latinos of all stripes are now more afraid of law enforcement; and
- Federal officials are voting on terrible border militarization laws because they are afraid of angry voters.
That does not describe a safe community. These laws do not make us safer.
By embracing immigrants in our communities we can define safety for ourselves – a community where everyone has a safe and secure job, where everyone has a safe home to return to at night, and where all of our different experiences and views can be safely expressed and respected.
We also build safer neighborhoods by seeking trust and communication between communities of color, white communities, and law enforcement.
Write a letter to your paper today sharing what makes you fearful & what makes you feel secure in your community.
Onward,
Kari
P.S. See the ROPnet from Amanda for more details on the anti-immigrant happenings in
SAMPLE LTE for JUNE:
I’d like to share a LTE that was written by Sarah Loose and published in the Oregonian. Draw inspiration from this & share your own fears and needs for security! Or just edit and submit Sarah’s letter with your name – she won’t mind sharing!
Dear Editor,
Politicians say that
What I’m scared of is what will happen if local police and sheriffs start spending all their time and our tax dollars hunting down anyone who looks "illegal" rather than addressing the real problems tearing apart our communities. Most of all I’m scared about where our country is headed.
Name, Phone, Address
Talking Points
– I want to work towards safety in my community that is defined by strong relationships with our neighbors and supportive community services.
– Freedom from fear of our neighbors, equal access to protection from crimes and violence, and secure economic opportunity for all keeps our whole community safer.
– The tough anti-immigrant legislation makes it more difficult to fight crime in our communities, by turning the focus from creating safety in our communities to targeting our immigrant neighbors.
– I value diversity in my community, and working together to keep each other safe in these difficult economic times.
Read More
What makes you feel safe?
A community where everyone feels at home…
There is a disturbing trend in our country right now that is criminalizing migration and dehumanizing immigrants. Politicians argue that Arizona’s new law SB 1070 and the so-called "Secure Communities" program (recently introduced in Clackamas, Multnomah and Marion counties) — both designed to target "criminal aliens" for detention and removal — are supposed to make our communities safer. But ultimately, these laws and programs play on people’s fears and stereotypes about immigrants and make our communities less safe. They dehumanize our neighbors through use of terms like "criminal alien" that seek to create an "us and them" that normalizes discrimination and abuses of mothers and fathers who are simply here trying to make a living and raise their families.
But throughout rural Oregon, people are pushing back! With hometown strategies, we are lifting up and building towards our own notions of what safe and secure communities look like…
Read MoreGetting Traction: Foreclosure Defense
Since the beginning of this economic crisis, Oregon has seen literally thousands of homes go into foreclosure. We have the 11th highest foreclosure rate in the country. In the first quarter of 2010 every 1 in 135 homes in Oregon were in foreclosure. The hardest hit of these counties are Clackamas, Crook, Deschutes, Jackson, Jefferson, Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill. (To check out data on your county check out these links: current foreclosures and April foreclosure rates).
On Saturday, June 19th ROP, Good Grief America, labor unions and other groups will host a "Getting Traction" workshop and Community Roundtable Dialogue for homeowners, civic leaders and concerned community members. This is a regional event and will take place in the Salem area. Let’s find those folks in our communities who are facing foreclosure and get them the information for this class. Let’s see who our potential allies might be in helping craft solutions for our communities and invite them to attend. We need them to be part of this solution-oriented Roundtable.
Download a flyer for June 19th’s Getting Traction workshop and Community Roundtable.
Read MoreThoughts for Trying Times: on Immigrants and the Economy
Signature gatherers are hitting the streets in Marion and Polk Counties, working to get identical pairs of anti-immigrant and anti-tax measures on the November ballot. The right-wing outrage and scapegoating of the last year that was directed against Obama, and against health care reform is now shifting to fall squarely on the shoulders of immigrants and people of color.
Read More
It is a rocky era for immigrants living in the US. Every wave of immigration has brought similar rocky times, some worse than others, from discrimination against the Italians and Irish to the mass internment of Japanese Americans just a generation ago.
There are some constants in the story. Historically, during times of economic and social uncertainty, there always needs to be a scapegoat. And there is a familiar pattern to blaming the newest immigrant group for taking jobs, as opposed to looking at corrupt finance and business interests who were really to blame in creating the economic insecurity more broadly.
Resilient Communities
Hometown Strategies for a Democratic Economy are locally focused projects or programs that human dignity groups are using to both build a strong community that can survive our new economic reality, and work towards the longer-term goal of making a democratic economy a reality.
Hometown Strategies are designed to expand our movement, connect together and build relationships for the long haul.
A useful tool for building your local resilient community is the first Hometown Strategy that ROP share over the next several months: The Common Security Club (CSC). The Common Security Club, often referred to as a Resiliency Circle, offers a vision beyond the troubled times and enables you to build the community that many of us are missing.
Read More
Cross-cultural organizing in Newport
Coastal Progressives of Lincoln County, Centro de Ayuda and the Rural Organizing Project invited community members to a free half-day popular education workshop presented by Equipo Maiz, our friends from El Salvador, on Saturday, April 24, 2010. Nelson Orellana of Equipo Maiz facilitated a workshop that provided a space for reflection and mutual learning across race and culture lines. Participants learned about popular education methodology as an opportunity to pool our collective knowledge and experience and then take action for positive change
.
Founded In 1983, in the midst of El Salvador’s brutal civil war, Equipo Maiz facilitates popular education workshops and training programs for grassroots organizations and the general population of El Salvador, focusing on leadership development, economic justice, gender equality, environmental issues and civic participation. They also develop educational materials that seek to explain, through simple text and lively, evocative drawings, issues of political and social relevance.
May 2010 KTA: Move Our Money: Putting Oregon on the Map
Overview of Oregon State Bank Overview of Public Funds and Credit Unions Southern Oregon Local Banking Brochure Why this Activity? Over the last year, ROPers have been considering who holds our money and just what those banking institutions stand for. What we’ve learned is that many of us already bank with local institutions – institutions that […]
Read MoreFeeding our Democracy: in 2 Acts
Here are a couple of opportunities to participate in building that democractic economy we keep talking about. First – some information about why to vote yes on Measures 68 & 69, then scroll down for an important action on the Food Safety Bill that is being discussed in the Senate.
ACT ONE:
Your ballot will go out in the mail TODAY for the May 18th election – and whatever you do, don’t throw it away! On the contrary, as you puzzle through all kinds of candidate profiles, also be sure to vote YES on Measures 68 & 69. I know it seems like a lot of elections lately, but there’s good stuff in these two for rural Oregon, and your voice counts.
ACT TWO:
An important action that you can take to support food justice. This week, we want to make sure you’re aware of this important moment to act nationally on behalf of food access and justice. It will take you 5 minutes, and then you can get back to building our people’s economy from the inside out.
Read MoreRMC: Welcoming Message May 2010
Rural Media Center Kick Off
The Rural Media Center is injecting some sensibility and neighborliness into the immigration conversation through our small town newspapers. Each month has a different theme or message that cuts through divisive portrayals of immigration and immigrants and holds up our vision of a Welcoming Community – slowly but surely shifting consciousness and taking power back from big media.
Together we make a greater impact than when we act alone!
***
Read More
Immigrant Injustice Comes to Rural Counties
With county officials and conservative activists in Oregon counties like Clackamas, Marion and Polk stepping in to "take the reins" in the face of the federal government’s inaction, the need for a fundamental overhaul of our nation’s economic and immigration systems couldn’t be more clear. This weekend, hundreds of thousands of workers, immigrants and their allies will march together to demand "Jobs for All" and to remind legislators that "Immigrant Rights are Workers Rights".
The climate of division and fear points to the need for something even deeper and more transformative than these absolutely critical changes to national policy. We need hometown strategies and neighbor-to-neighbor approaches to creating a new culture of equity, solidarity and democratic participation.
Read MoreHometown Strategies for a Democratic Economy
Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
Albany, OR * April 10th, 2010
This year’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session was a beautiful affair generously hosted by Albany Peace Seekers, with over 130 people, representing human dignity groups in over 26 counties, and an almost electric sense of energy, innovation and possibility.
We’re compiling notes from the day, feedback and reflections from participants, and developing our next steps out of the visioning that happened. For now, here’s a snapshot of the day to whet your appetite…
Read MoreROP Annual Rural Caucus
Thanks for joining us for the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session!
Saturday, May 7th in Bend, OR
Every year the ROP brings together rural and small town activists and organizers to reflect on our last year of organizing and to share strategies for our next. We hold strategy sessions 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, democracy and sustainability.
In 2011, we’re at an exciting moment to consider how we can use our power to make real change. Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Wisconsin are demonstrating what it means to resist. In Oregon we might not yet have the call to action of Wisconsin or Egypt, but we do have a vibrant rural movement that we’ve all helped to build and nurture. How will we use it? What can we learn from other movements at this time?
How is your community responding to this ongoing economic crisis? What are you working to change, what inspires you? How do you want to build power and use it in your community?
This year’s Caucus featured sessions on creating a Welcoming Community for immigrants, recruiting local candidates to build power over the long haul, working for LGBTQ inclusion & safety in rural Oregon, and much more.
This year’s Caucus also included an action at Congressman Walden’s office. Rural Oregonians from around the state declared our resistance to billions for the military while cutting across the board in our communities. Read more and download a flyer here.
Perhaps most importantly, the ROP Caucus is a time to re-energize, reconnect and revitalize. Change takes time. The Caucus offers us an opportunity to build relationships, learn skills, and share the experiences & passion that sustain our work for justice.
Registration fees
Past-due registration fees can be paid via credit card online (please click on the donate button then add a note indicating that you are paying for the Caucus) or mail a check to ROP POB 1350 Scappoose, OR 97056.
Not sure if your group paid its $50 group dues for 2011 yet? Call the ROP office at 503-543-8417.
Late Registration (after April 7th)
- $60 for ROP group of 3**
- $25 for one ROP member
- $35 for a non-member
To become an individual member add $35.
Check out past Caucuses:
2010 – Hometown Strategies for a Democratic Economy
2009 – Organizing with Hope in Times of Crisis
The ROP Caucus this Saturday!
Annual ROP Rural Caucus and Strategy Session
Saturday April 10, 2010
9am-5pm
Albany, Oregon
The 2010 Caucus will be held at the First Christian Church, 432 Ferry St SW, Albany, Oregon, 97321. Festivities begin directly at 9am, registration opens at 8am. Arrive early, get some breakfast, set up your group’s table display & help us start on time.
Directions to First Christian Church
Located between 4th an 5th Avenues, on Ferry St.
There is a lot for parking and also on street parking.
Enter the church through the Main Entrance off the parking lot and join us in the Fellowship Hall on the First Floor.
From I5 (Driving South)
Take exit 234B toward Albany (1.2 m)
Left on Pacific Blvd SE
Right on US 20W, continue on Pacific Blvd SE (1m)
Right at SW 11th Ave (.1m)
Take 1st Right on SW Ferry St
Church is on the left
From I5 (Driving North)
Take exit 233 for US20 toward Albany
Right as US 20W(2m)
Continue on Pacific Blvd SE (.3m)
Right at SW 11th Ave (.1m)
Take 1st Right on SW Ferry
Church is on the left
Roundtable Dialogues for a Democratic Economy
Over the last month human dignity organizers in Crook, Polk, Clackamas & Umatilla Counties hosted a Roundtable in their county to look at the state of the local economy and to explore options for how we move forward. From city councilors and service providers to legislators, farmers and labor leaders, community leaders are coming together to take a look at what’s working and what’s not in our communities. Ideas and conversations ranged from hometown strategies to national and statewide barriers and solutions.
Read MoreLet the fun begin: Friday BBQ, Saturday connect & celebrate
You will be entertained! You will be connected!
This weekend at the ROP Annual Caucus in Albany your senses will be delighted, your palettes will tingle and your sense of community will grow stronger and richer with each moment. You won’t want to miss it!
Partake in some of this weekend’s treats, read below for the full details:
- Friday Night pre-Caucus BBQ
- Open Space and Tabling at the Caucus
- Merchandise! New ROP Buttons, Classic Shirts and Caucus pie sale
- Post-Caucus fun: Corvallis Second Saturday Concert benefit for ROP
- Post-Caucus fun: MRG foundation Justice Within Reach Party
- Whet your Caucus whistle: ROP featured on the Daily Kos national blog
Print this email and bring it along so you’ll have all the options at your fingertips. Can’t wait to see you!
April 2010 KTA: USSF – Movement Building from Albany to Detroit
"It’s imperative that all of the visionaries, the thinkers, the movers, the believers should start getting yourself ready and on your way to Detroit right now.”
— Maureen Taylor, US Social Forum Detroit Co-Coordinator
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? Movement building! To change the world, we need a coordinated movement of people joining together and demanding and making change. This movement has got to be stronger, more strategic, and better networked than what we’ve got now. Fortunately, this spring and summer, opportunities abound for building a stronger movement – here in rural Oregon and nationally.
Read MoreCensus: Make our Diversity Known
Census Data 2010 % of people that have returned their Census form as of 3/22/10 nation wide- 20% Oregon – 13% In Oregon: Grant County leads with 40% Morrow County pulls up the rear with 2% Want to see how your county compares? Check out the Census map, updated each week. I adore the Census; […]
Read MoreRobots in Hood River & Music in Yamhill: The future of Peace
"I will not tire of declaring that if we really want an effective
end to violence we must remove the violence that lies at the root
of all violence: structural violence, social injustice, exclusion
of citizens from the management of the country, repression. All
this is what constitutes the primal cause, from which the rest
flows naturally." September 23, 1979. Archbishop Oscar Romero
Peace, like many of the issues that we organize around, is currently shrouded in questions and sparking an exciting new phase of strategizing and discussions.
Read MoreUniting, One County at a Time
Uniting, One County at a Time
We helped make rural Oregon a force for progressive change.
By Mike Edera and Marcy Westerling
The political influence of Sarah Palin continues to dismay and amaze. How could this loser Vice-Presidential candidate and failed Alaska governor reach into the current debate on healthcare reform and, by inventing Obamas death panels–surely one of the most moronic, inane charges in U.S. political history–seem to tip the struggle for a public healthcare option in favor of the private insurance industry?
Watching the re-incarnation of Palin and listening to the increasingly shrill tone of the healthcare "debate," many of us who are veterans of the 90s culture wars hear a familiar sound. The Palin phenomenon is a synthetic version of the grassroots right-wing social movements that emerged in the 80s and 90s. Those movements were political products designed in the hothouses of various then-obscure right-wing institutions. But they had an authentic gestation in rural America.
Before she was discovered by William Kristol and launched into the national limelight by the McCain campaign, Palin was mentored by wingnuts of the Alaska Independence Party, an offshoot of the U.S. Constitution Party. The movement of ideas and individuals from the right-wing fringe into mainstream politics–from grassroots to what might be termed the "small-town, rural brand"–is the reason progressives must pay attention to the politics of rural America.
Click here for the full article:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/main/article/4914/
2010 Caucus Agenda
ROP’s 2010
Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
Hometown Strategies for Democratic Economies
Saturday, April 10th in Albany, Oregon
8:00 – 5:00
Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
Hometown Strategies for Democratic Economies
Saturday, April 10th in Albany, Oregon
8:00 – 5:00
8:00 Registration and Breakfast – Come early to beat the rush and enjoy a hot cup of joe before diving into the day!
9:00 Welcome from ROP & Keynote Address from Stephanie Guilloud of Project South with special Spotlight on the Oregon Movement with local leaders.
10:30 Creating a Vision for 2010 and Beyond
11:30 Lunch and Open Space Discussions
12:40 ROP Update, Meet the Board, 2010 Human Dignity Awards, and more!
1:00 Panel on Local Democratic Economy Roundtables
1:45 Hometown Strategies Sessions 1 (see workshop descriptions below)
3:20 Hometown Strategies Sessions 2 (see workshop descriptions below)
4:45 Closeout & Group Photo
5:00 Good bye!
Hometown Strategy Sessions
Session One (1:45 – 3:05)
Conversations on Racial Justice: Organizing Across Race and Culture
Facilitator and Presentor: Stephanie Guilloud – Project South
This session will open the dialogue on how we organize across race and culture amid the changing face of rural Oregon and the broadening base of ROP. Stephanie will share lessons from her experiences doing long term cross-cultural organizing with Georgia’s Project South and the 2007 US Social Forum in Atlanta.
Building Self Reliant Communities as an Organizing Strategy
Mike Edera – West County Council for Human Dignity, Randi & Aaron Embree – Macleay Grange, & Jared Gardner –Unitarian Universalist Economic Justice Action Committee.
The economic crisis has encouraged (or sometimes forced) us to rethink consumption while we build alternative economic systems. How can we rebuild our communities to be more resilient and also interdependent as we insert our core values of inclusivity, human dignity, and democracy? This workshop will explore these themes as we look at one concrete model: the Common Security Club, as a strategy to meet people’s needs and build the movement.
Mike Edera – West County Council for Human Dignity, Randi & Aaron Embree – Macleay Grange, & Jared Gardner –Unitarian Universalist Economic Justice Action Committee.
The economic crisis has encouraged (or sometimes forced) us to rethink consumption while we build alternative economic systems. How can we rebuild our communities to be more resilient and also interdependent as we insert our core values of inclusivity, human dignity, and democracy? This workshop will explore these themes as we look at one concrete model: the Common Security Club, as a strategy to meet people’s needs and build the movement.
Creating Jobs with Justice: Lessons from Rural OR
Rich Rohde – Oregon Action (Jackson Co), Ellie Pope – Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity, Al DeVita – Laborers Union, and Lynn Feekin – Labor Education and Research Center
This workshop is a conversation with organizers who are pioneering the effort to create green jobs in their communities and finding ways to include justice and equity in conversations about this ‘new frontier’ of economic development.
Foreclosures Defense: From Education to Direct Action
Nancie Kroeber – Good Grief America and other local groups
This workshop offers a dialogue with those who are spearheading foreclosure defense work in their own neighborhoods. Learn about the many points of entry for organizing around the foreclosure and eviction crisis – starting long before the notice is ever nailed to the door – and take away strategies for your own community.
Session Two (3:20 – 4:40)
We are a Welcoming Community: Rural Media Center 2010
Facilitated by the Rural Organizing Project
In our commitment to create just and humane comprehensive immigration reform, we need to lay groundwork that transforms immigrants from outsiders to neighbors. Through our local papers, we will get our welcoming messages about the value of immigrants onto the kitchen table of thousands of people each month. Join this workshop to strategize about using media for immigration justice and to build welcoming communities.
Food justice: Strategies to Grow our Movement and Feed our Communities
Harry MacCormack – Sun Bow Farms, Tera Couchman Wick – Village Gardens & Nella Parks- Oregon Rural Action
Food has the potential to strengthen communities, expand our movement, and serve as powerful force for economic and social justice. Smart communities use food to meet basic community needs, while modeling and growing a new style of neighborhood, use of resources, of wealth and job creation, and of economy. This workshop will ask a panel of food justice visionaries how they are building a movement from the roots up!
Move our Money: Putting our Money Where our Values Are
Barb Dudley – Oregon State Bank group, Charlotte Hart- St Helens Credit Union, Tony Stang- Credit Union Association of OR
The Move Our Money campaign has taken hold among ROPers, our communities and across the country. With the recent of Oregon legislation that increases the cap on public funds in credit unions and organizing for an Oregon State Bank, there are increasing opportunities to support more local, democratic banking institutions. This session will give an update on the statewide organizing and explore hometown strategies to keep our money in circulation in Oregon.
Barb Dudley – Oregon State Bank group, Charlotte Hart- St Helens Credit Union, Tony Stang- Credit Union Association of OR
The Move Our Money campaign has taken hold among ROPers, our communities and across the country. With the recent of Oregon legislation that increases the cap on public funds in credit unions and organizing for an Oregon State Bank, there are increasing opportunities to support more local, democratic banking institutions. This session will give an update on the statewide organizing and explore hometown strategies to keep our money in circulation in Oregon.
Beyond Know Your Rights: "Secure Communities" & New Strategies for Stopping Deportations
Shizuko Hashimoto – PCASC & Stephen Manning – Immigration Attorney
"Secure Communities" is one of the programs and informal agreements that pair local law enforcement with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to enforce federal immigration laws. The result? Increased racial profiling with serious consequences for immigrant families and local communities. This session will explore local and statewide strategies available to fight back against this dangerous pairing. It’s going beyond Know Your Rights!
Project South’s Stephanie Guilloud to Keynote ROP Caucus
ROP is thrilled to announce that Stephanie Guilloud from Project South in Atlanta will be the keynote speaker at ROP’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session in Albany on April 10th.
Stephanie grew up in Texas before spending nearly a decade in the Northwest where she was a leader in shutting down the WTO in Seattle in 1999. In her time at Project South, Stephanie has worked with local community groups in the South and across the country to build stronger movements that are owned and led by grassroots leaders. In 2007, Stephanie and Project South organized as the anchor group of the first ever US Social Forum.
We are so excited to welcome Stephanie to rural Oregon and share movement strategies with one of the most exciting organizations in the US today. But, we’ve got to get her here! If you’ve got frequent flyer miles that we can put towards Stephanie’s ticket from Atlanta, please let ROP know!
Read MoreHelp Wanted! Keeping ROP a Democratic Economy
In some ways this notion of Democratic Economy we’re talking about at ROP is all about accountability. Who has the resources and who has control over them? This year at ROP we’re applying this notion to our local communities – at the Caucus, in community Round Tables, in local organizing across the state that advance hometown strategies from community gardens to green jobs and moving our money to credit unions instead of big banks.
But what does Democratic Economy mean for ROP the organization?
Read MoreMarch 2010 KTA: Rural Media Center
Rama Carty was one of 70 immigrants that joined a hunger strike at the Port Isabel Detention Center [in Texas]. Mr. Carty said of his time in detention, “I witnessed the destruction of American families in a clearly inhumane process. That’s what led us to go on a hunger strike. We had no other […]
Read MoreRural Oregon is a Hate Free Zone: Grant County Update
This week Grant County residents learned that the Aryan Nations is looking to relocate to their community. Idaho Aryan Nations leader Paul Mullet is trying to purchase local real estate for a training center in John Day, Oregon. Immediately, community members rose up and responded. Over 60 people attended a rally on the streets of […]
Read More2010 Rural Caucus and Strategy Session
On Saturday, April 10th rural and small town leadership from across the state will come together for a day of strategizing, networking, and organizing.
The Rural Organizing Project invites you to participate in our annual…
Rural Caucus and Strategy Session
Saturday, April 10th in Albany
8:00am to 5pm
Check out this year’s Caucus Agenda with workshop descriptions!
Click here to register online, or contact Amanda for a registration form at 503-543-8417 or cara@rop.org
** For an early-bird discount, register before March 15th!
** The sooner we hear that you’re coming (or that you can’t make it) the more time we can dedicate to organizing, so drop us a line either way!
Read MoreThemes and Questions from Rolling Think Tanks 2010
Is this what YOU see when you look at our movement in rural Oregon? · Scores of people mapped the change that they wanted to see onto Obama’s call for change. Those people have not gone away. They are still there, along with their longing for change, but our movement has not yet been able […]
Read MoreGender Justice takes Courage: Thoughts from Rural Oregon
It is important to tell my story because even though I felt alone at certain times in my life, I knew I wasn’t, I knew there were others out there going through the exact same thing. And people were working to make things better for gay and lesbian causes, people were standing up for rights and learning more, publishing their thoughts, motivating others, influencing legislation, operating suicide hot lines and leading parades.
Yes, fear is a pervading thought, and safety is always at the back of my mind living in my town. And as much as I would love to live where people don’t blink when two people of the same sex walk down the street holding hands, this is where I am, this is where I am from and this is my community. I believe education is the key, this isn’t a complex issue; it is a civil rights issue. It is about recognizing citizens in our communities who are building their families and living their lives despite homophobia and discrimination, and not pointing out the differences but the similarities, uniting communities rather than dividing them. This is who we are, this is who we love, this is where we live.
– Chelsea Fine, Josephine County
Read More
ROP Think Tanks 2010- Sign up now!
ROP is coming upon our 20th anniversary. As we enter our third decade and a new organizational phase, ROP’s taking time to step back, evaluate our work & our organizing, and do some organizational visioning for our future. To kick off this process, ROP is bringing Suzanne Pharr to Oregon in February to facilitate a […]
Read MoreFeb 2010 Kitchen Table Activism
ROP’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session: Saturday, April 10th in Albany
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? On Saturday, April 10th rural and small town leadership from across the state will be gathering for a day of strategizing, networking, and organizing. ROP’s annual Rural Caucus and Strategy Session will be from 8:30am- 5pm in Albany. This month’s Kitchen Table Activism is to decide who will represent your group and community at this year’s Caucus.
This year’s Caucus will focus on Hometown Strategies for a Democratic Economy. We’ll look at strategies that work in rural and small town Oregon that not only address the current needs of our communities, but build a long-term movement for an economy that is people-centered and sustainable. Join your peers from around the state for conversations on topics such as: moving our money, local banking and creating an Oregon state bank; what’s ahead for immigration reform; organizing secure food systems to feed our communities and promote local sustainability; LGBTQ organizing for safer communities; and much more.
Read MoreMeasures 66 & 67 and the Long Haul
- Hand-distributed ROP’s county-specific STAND voter guides in 20 counties!
- Knocked on 1520 doors and called 3225 voters to encourage voters to vote YES!
- Made calls to all 36 counties to encourage a YES vote!
- As part of the Rural Media Center, sent in over 50 letters to the editors of local papers, and had 11 articles and editorials printed!
- Recruited small business owners in 16 counties to come out as a public face in support of 66 & 67!
- Mailed to 12,496 rural voters with ROP’s STAND Voter Guide explaining how the ballot measures will affect their community and urging them to vote YES!
Rural Caucus & Strategy Session April 10th!
Every Spring the members and leaders of the Rural Organizing Project come together from every corner of the state to reflect on our last year and strategize for our next. This year, the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session will be on Saturday, April 10th in Albany. Help build Hometown Strategies for Democratic Economies in rural […]
Read MoreTown Hall Reconnaissance
Democracy in action is a beautiful thing. Yes it can be loud, rambunctious and annoying; but that is sort of the magic of the system – that it is a spectacle, on both sides. As the Town Halls circle back to us this month, we see progressives using creative tactics to get their demands heard and Tea Baggers shouting down Congressmen. All the while ROP is there beside you, helping make sense of this wild democracy.
Read More
ROP’s Top 9 from 2009!
Collectively the ROP and it’s human dignity member groups accomplished a lot in 2009! We invite you to take a moment to look back on all we’ve done and achieved in our shared project to advance justice and democracy in rural Oregon. So here are, in no particular order, ROP’s Top 9 from 2009. Take […]
Read MorePutting Rural America on the Map in 2010
In her nearly two decades at the helm of ROP, Marcy Westerling has put rural Oregon on the map. In the founding days of ROP, Marcy was part of a small team that traveled to the far corners of the state believing that defeating the hate and bigotry of ballot measure 9 was not […]
Read MoreRural Justice in 2010!
This year, a lot of us have been waiting for inspiration. One year ago, we were riding high. We had worked hard and finally had our new day. Obama’s election brought us out of the Bush years with a bang! The promise and relief were so sweet you could taste it. We knew that one […]
Read MoreUniversal Declaration of Human Rights Award
Coastal Progressives honor Lincoln County Commissioner Bill Hall
Thursday Dec. 10, 2009 was Universal Human Rights Day, and on that day the Coastal Progressives of Lincoln County presented Commissioner Bill Hall with a certificate of appreciation for his work on behalf of human rights and service to the community. This is the third year Coastal Progressives have presented the Human Rights Day award in Lincoln County; previous winners were Centro de Ayuda and its director, Jorge Hernandez, for their work with local immigrants’ rights and Ginger Gouveia of Waldport, for her work in New Orleans to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Evelyn Brookhyser, Bridget Dix and Bruce McCain of Samaritan House met with Commissioner Hall in his office on Thursday to thank him for his extensive efforts on behalf of homeless persons, including work in conjunction with the Community Services Consortium to establish a 10-year plan to end homelessness in the county. Commissioner Hall also initiated the annual Homeless Connect program which offers services and hot meals to homeless persons and established the Warming Center at the county fairgrounds to offer warmth and shelter in winter weather.
Dr. Tom Kerns, on behalf of the Environment and Human Rights Advisory and Concerned Citizens for Clean Air, was also in attendance to thank Commissioner Hall for his significant work to assure the right of Lincoln County residents and visitors to a clean and healthy environment and their right to be free from exposure to environmental toxics.
Mark Saelens, Program Manager and Sustainability Coordinator for the Lincoln County Solid Waste District, was unable to be present, but in a letter of appreciation, he thanked Commissioner Hall for his many new and important initiatives for the community, the economy and the environment. According to Saelens, “Bill provided essential support for ushering in some focus on sustainability issues in Lincoln County by supporting (along with the other commissioners) establishment of the Lincoln County Sustainability Committee and appointment of a County Sustainability Coordinator.”
Rennie Ferris, board member of the Rural Organizing Project, and Alice McCain made the presentation of the award certificate on behalf of ROP and its member group, Coastal Progressives.
Snooping out our rural Oregon windows
Whether you wanted progressive health care or progress on health care, you are probably disappointed. It is tempting to blame the tea bagger protestors when, of course, the real challenge to democracy is that we were sold out by parties beholden to corporate lobbyists. They steered us to a global collapse and stuck around to pick up the choice pieces. It’s enough to make you angry.
Read MoreThe Ripple Effect of a Few Calls in Rural Oregon
Sometimes you never know what a quick phone call or two (or 36) might make happen.
With just a few calls to our communities’ sheriffs, ROP members are creating a ripple effect and letting local law enforcement know that fair and humane treatment of immigrant community members is a priority to rural and small town Oregonians…
Read MoreHometown Heroes
“The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities” –Eleanor Roosevelt This Thursday, December 10th marks the anniversary of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR). Each year, numerous ROP member groups use this occasion to honor a person in their community whose efforts to advance human […]
Read MoreOregonians against Rich-Tweaking Taxes Vow to Fight Measures 66 & 67
HELP US BUY BACK OUR COUNTRY
Oregonians For Rich-Tweaking Taxes
Measures 66 & 67 ask very rich people & large corporations to pay a little more in taxes so that schools can stay open, poor kids can be on the Oregon Health Plan and, the old & ‘disabled’ get adequate care. What an outrage! We feel that the burden of running society should be squarely on the backs of its middle and lower classes. The rich and corporate business community have long been exempt from paying a fair share of taxes, and we want to ask you now: why change a good thing?
Read MoreDec 2009 KTA: Spirit of Justice
*** December Kitchen Table Activity WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY: This month’s KTA offers three approaches to working for Tax Fairness in your community & keeping our state healthy. They are fun, festive and effective. Choose your style! (And if you haven’t seen your county’s STAND Voter Guide yet, email cara@rop.org to get a copy ready […]
Read MoreWant to know more about Immigrants Rights?
If you’re looking for more information about immigrants’ rights struggles in the US and Oregon, ROP encourages you to look into these sources:
- First, sign up for ROP’s Immigration Fairness Network by emailing cara@rop.org or by calling the office at 503-543-8417. We will send you regular updates about local, state, and national immigration issues, and send out calls for action when needed.
- Visit ROP’s Immigration Fairness Resource Page for tons of useful reports, info and links.
- The ROP is a founding member of CAUSA: Oregon’s Immigrants Rights Coalition based in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
- Reform Immigration for America Now is a national coalition at the forefront of the struggle to acheive immigration reform. The National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights also has lots of great analysis and information.
- Check out the work of David Bacon, a leading author and activist for immigrants and labor rights. His work highlights the reality of immigrant workers and the global causes of immigration to the US.
STAND Guide for Download
Small Town Action for New Direction
STAND Guide is ROP’s Voter Guide written by and for rural and small town Oregon. A beloved source of information in each election, we lay out the measures in a simple way asking — Are these good for Democracy?
This Downloadable STAND is an easy to print, easy to use, one page (front and back) informational guide to how Measures 66 & 67 will affect small town Oregonians. Hand it out at your PTA, your congregation, or around your neighborhood.
- Let us know the number of STAND Guides you want to distribute.
- Download the full color statwide STAND Guide.
- Download the easy-print statewide STAND Guide.
- *NEW* County Specific STAND Guide. Want to know how many people will be affected in Harney County? Want to hear from local small businesses in Lincoln County? These voter guides have it all! Email cara@rop.org to get your County Guides!
- Baker County
- Benton County
- Clatsop County
- Columbia County
- Coos County
- Crook County
- Deschutes County
- Curry County
- Grant County
- Harney County
- Hood River County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Josephine County
- Klamath County
- Lake County
- Lane County
- Lincoln County
- Linn County
- Marion County
- Polk County
- Tillamook County
- Union County
- Wallowa County
- Wasco County
- Washington County
- Yamhill County
Read More
Stories from one small town to another: Tax Fairness ain’t no joke
The people of ROP are pulling out all the stops to fight for tax fairness – while having a good time, building community and setting themselves up for a great 2010.
To inspire your thinking about how to bring a progressive voice for tax fairness & common sense to your county…here are some stories from rural Oregon of people taking on a campaign with laughter, spirit & a vision for the future.
Junction City New Years Party!
Tillamook Neighborhood Walks!
Crook County says ‘We are the Media!’
Read MoreTax Fairness Facts
Nuts & Bolts
- Will you be affected by Measure 66 – the person income tax increase on family income over $250,000? Follow this easy chart to reveal your future!
- Will your business be affected by Measures 67 – the adjustment of the corporate minimum? Follow this chart to map your destiny!
- How many people in your county will be affected by Measure 66? *Coming Soon!*
- Who pays a larger percentage of their income to taxes, rich people or poor people?
- Fact vs. Fiction
- The actual text of the measures themselves.
Affects on our community
- The Measures’ affects on Education
- The Measures’ affects on Human Services
- The Measures’ affects on Oregon’s State Budget Gap
Analysis from the grassroots
- The Blackberry Pie Society’s breaks down both measures & why it’s important to vote YES!
In the news
- The Oregon Bankers Association got bailed out and then funded the anti-tax campaign.
Read More
Organizing even when Corporate Democracy= Corporate Healthcare
‘Health care reform’ moves forward – historic and sobering. It is decades delayed and ending up better for industry than people. And yet some progress.
In 2009 we don’t just want health care reform because we are caring progressives. No, most of us want health care reform just as much because our own small businesses, non-profits, families and communities are stressed under an unfair system for accessing care. We need this legislation to offer actual relief not higher rates.
Read MoreTax Fairness 2010
Tax Fairness will help build a Democratic Economy!
Oregon VOTED YES for Tax Fairness
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*RESOURCES* |
For too long, large corporations have gotten away with paying just $10 a year in Oregon income taxes, while average Oregon families and small businesses have had to pick up the tab of paying for schools and basic services. It’s time for a change.
This January, there will be a special election on Measures 66 & 67 to increase the $10 corporate minimum income tax for the first time since 1931, and increase the marginal tax rate on personal income above $250,000 per household. These measures protect nearly $1 billion for education, healthcare, and public safety.
What do Measures 66 & 67 mean for
rural and small town Oregon?
Measures 66 and 67 keep our rural schools, health clinics, and senior facilities funded at adequate levels. And they make sure that rural Oregon’s working and middle class families won’t have to carry a disproportionate burden of the costs of maintaining these services. In fact:
· Less than 2% of people in nearly all of Oregon’s rural counties will be affected by these measures!
· In 10 rural counties, fewer than 100 rich households will see their income tax levels raised!
Measures 66 and 67 ensure that large corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share. These measures are one small step towards creating stronger, more democratic communities and resilient rural economies.
January 26th, 2010 Ballot Measures Advance Democracy
| Ballot Measure | What it does? | Workable Solution? | Advances Democracy? | |||
| 67 | Increases the corporate minimum income tax from $10 to $150 and increases the marginal tax rate on corporate profits above $250,000 by 1.3% (above $10 million in 2013). |
Will help avoid further cuts to vital services like schools, health care and public safety by ensuring corporations pay their fair share. Establishes reasonable corporate tax rates that are still the lowest on the west coast. Makes sure small businesses can survive these tough times. |
Restores a level of fairness to our outdated and imbalanced tax system. Corporations that benefit from a well-educated populace and safe, livable communities contribute a fair share towards maintaining the common good. |
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| 66 |
Increases the marginal tax rate by 1.8% on personal income above $250,000 for couples and above $125,000 for individuals. |
Like 67, this measure protects the common good by ensuring adequate funding for basic programs that benefit all, rather than shifting the burden of the economic crisis to those who have been hardest hit already. |
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Before you vote, consider this…
· Over 90% of the state budget goes to vital services like education, healthcare, public safety and human services – all of which are threatened by the economic crisis.
· 2/3rds of corporations doing business in Oregon pay just $10 a year in income taxes. That includes out-of-state corporations that do millions of dollars in business in Oregon, and paid their CEOs millions in compensation, but paid no state taxes in 2008. The $10 corporate minimum tax hasn’t been changed since 1931.
· More than 98.5% of taxpayers in most rural counties won’t be affected at all by the proposed change to Oregon’s personal tax.
VOTE YES for Tax Fairness this January!
Contact cara@rop.org to get involved
Voting basics
- Voter registration deadline is January 5th. Register online at: www.sos.state.or.us/ elections/votreg/sel500.pdf
- Ballots will be mailed out starting on January 8th.
- Remember to turn your ballot in by Tuesday, January 26th! Call the Oregon Secretary of State’s Oregon Votes hotline at: 1-866-ORE-VOTE / 673-8683 to find out where the nearest ballot drop box is!
Take Action!
Your voice is important – now more than ever!
Bring Your Money Home Actions
- Move your money! Put your money in a bank that has community values and makes our local economy stronger.
- Download a helpful How To
- Download a form to switch your Direct Deposit
- Download a form to switch your automatic payments
- Download a form to close out your old account
Actions in your community
Got a campaign going on in your town? Need some support in your efforts to build a strong local economy? Let ROP know what action you’d like people to take — it should be an easily explained action that anyone can do — & we will post it up. ROP — we are a statewide network of action takers and social justice advocates!
Tax Fairness Actions
- Sign the Pledge! I will VOTE YES for Tax Fairness this January.
- Use the STAND Guide – ROP’s renown small town voter guide. Written by & for rural Oregon. There is a statwide version and a county specific version (in case you are curious just how many taxpayers in Grant County make more than $250,000 a year!)
- Put a sign in your window! Let your community know that you are Another Small Business Voting YES for Tax Fairness this January.
Bring Your Money Home
Our Time is Now!
Join ROP in…
Building a Peoples’ Economy
that values and protects
the real wealth of our communities:
our health, our environment, our education
and each and every one of us.
Building a fair economy,
a democratic economy means
Bringing Our Money Home
Action: Local Investment to Fund our People’s Economy
We all have control over a small fraction of the wealth in our communities. Are we using this power to extract wealth from our community or to support infrastructure that will put our community first? There are many ways to invest in local wealth: by volunteering at a local service organization, growing a community garden, or advocating for the inclusion of all in our democracy.
One concrete way to invest in local is to do just that, put our money where our mouth is and bring our money home. ROP is coordinating a statewide campaign to develop organizing leaders to move individuals and organizations’ money to our local banks and credit unions, and shift the balance of power away from Wall Street and towards people in our communities that we know and can hold accountable.
Download Campaign Materials to use in your community today!
- Generic Move Your Money Pamphlet
- Southern Oregon Move Your Money Pamphlet (a sample for your community)
- Questionairre for Credit Union/Community Bank research
- People’s Economy Action Cards
April 2011 Update
Rural Oregonians have been leading the way in the Move Your Money campaign- moving their own funds to local community banks and credit unions and encouraging local institutions to do the same. Let’s keep up the organizing! Use the above materials to organize in your community. Contact cara(at)rop.org for support in your community’s campaign.
In the 2011 Legislative Cycle, ROP has been organizing for an Oregon State Bank. Read more here.
July 2009 Update
ROP’s People’s Economy is moving ahead toward people-centered economies and we are building a popular movement of community minded savvy folks to lead the way!
By the end of July we’ll have started moving this campaign in 15 communities around Oregon, from Baker City to Stayton and Cave Junction to Astoria. ROP friends and allies are moving their money out of Bailout Banks and into community banks; they are digging to find out who owns the resources of their communities; & you all are investigating which organizations might switch to local banking, moving some significant cash into the local economy. Because, when the rubber hits the road, we can’t make many improvements without bringing money back into our counties. And what better money to bring back than our own!
What we are discovering won’t surprise you. Rural Oregonians are incredibly invested in their local communities and economies! ROP members are ahead of the curve when it comes to local banking, sustainable development & community involvement.
Read MoreTools for Talking to Small Business Owners
One of the most effective ways to get the word out on Measures 66 & 67 is by reaching out to and forming alliances with our small business owner friends and neighbors. This election, corporate interests are trying to hide behind small businesses by saying, "if we have to pay our fair share, local mom and pop stores will go out of business." This is simply not true!
Small Business – Handy Tools and Fact Sheets:
- How will your small business be affected? Easy charts that tell you exactly how will pay.
- Frequently Asked Questions with all the business details
- A window sign that businesses can use to show they support tax fairness.
- Jobs –
- Studies: The Legislative Revenue Office & The Urban Institute both say the Measures will be good for Oregon and good for jobs.
- In the News: Analysis of the LRO announcement and the UI study.
Read More
Small Businesses are the Heart of Community: Let Our Voices be Heard!
"As a small business owner in Oregon, I feel responsible to contribute to the well being of our state and local communities. Measures 66 & 67 are essential to maintain the quality of life and our continued business success. Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society." – Peter Braun, Second-generation small business owner:
The Cobbler’s Bench in Bandon, Oregon
Tax fairness means that we each pay according to our means, because we all benefit from the services provided by the government, like roads, education, and public safety.
But in Oregon, there is no level playing field for corporations when it comes to taxes, especially when people like our friend Peter Braun of Bandon is left paying the same state tax on his main street business as corporations like Sprint, Macy’s, and Merrill Lynch!
Does that make you angry? We can tell you that small business owners are frustrated about this and with good reason!
Read MoreHealth Care for All
SUPPORT HEALTH REFORM FOR FAMILIES & CHILDREN
November 2009
November 2009
Dear President Barack Obama, Senator Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Members of Congress:
Like you, we care about this country’s health. We agree with Grandma Yi, who dreams of the day when anyone can confidently seek medical care. Please stand strong for all of our states’ residents, parents, small business owners and workers, youth, volunteers and seniors, to live healthy lives. It is time to pass health reform legislation that includes all human beings. The longer we wait, the more it will hurt our families, and cost our businesses and government. We should not make people wait five years to seek medical care when they are working in low-wage jobs. Let’s support all families and children:
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Make the federal government pay their fair share by removing their five year bar for legal immigrants in Medicaid and Medicare
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Make health reform affordable to everyone by allowing public access to purchase the public option in the new marketplace for health insurance
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Let everyone who subsidizes the health system to participate in it, and make informed health decisions, regardless of immigration status
Read More
Freedom to Marry Comes to Rural Oregon
Freedom to Marry is coming to Rural Oregon! The first rural and small town statewide gathering for the Freedom to Marry campaign is coming up on Sunday, November 15th at the First Presbyterian Church in Cottage Grove! The training will take place from 12noon-5pm and is open to all ROP members and supporters. We’ll be taking lessons learned from Maine and Washington this week, and participants will learn about the strategy to win freedom to marry for all committed couples in Oregon and get hands-on tools for how to talk about this campaign in our hometowns.
Read MoreNov 2009 KTA: Documenting the Need and Making New Relationships
In 2009, we see the narrative of the economic crisis playing out on TV and in the newspapers as something related to stocks, quarterly earnings of corporations, real estate prices. But then even as we are told that these numbers are improving or leveling out, in our own communities we see more of our neighbors […]
Read MoreDon’t get Tricked! Vote Yes on 66 and 67 this January!
Don’t Let Your Neighbors Get Tricked this Halloween! Make Sure They Halloween is almost here! There is no other holiday in this country that we celebrate by gathering to chat with new friends on street corners and knocking on our neighbors’ doors. Human Dignity leaders get lucky this time of year, because all those things that we love to do to break down barriers in our communities and get our message out . . . on this one day everybody is doing them along with us!
Connecting with Our Movement Pals
Every once in a while in our organizing we need to step back and take a look at how our movement is doing and how we are doing ourselves. How are you doing? What is giving you hope right now? What connections are you building that nurture and inspire you?
ROP board member Steve Milligan and longtime ROP friend Jerry Atkin recently took their frustrations, their sadness, and their hope to the streets (actually, on the bus!). They joined a multistate caravan from the Northwest to San Jose to protest deportation and promote just immigration reform. And they came back inspired, moved and feeling connected to that larger, long-term movement community we all belong to.
Read on to hear more about ROPers connecting with our movement building community.
Read More
There’s no place like home!
It is SO good to be back at ROP! We’ve got a growing movement for rural justice, we’ve got a new ROP baby, and we’ve got Cara Shufelt returning to us after a year away! From Cara: In June, 2008 I left my staff position at ROP to begin a year […]
Read MoreOregon Grown Solidarity
As human dignity organizers in rural Oregon we are often called on to stand up for our community, for the needs and rights of our families and neighbors. At the same time, we live in a globalized world where our lives are tied in unseen ways to the lives of millions of people we’ve never met, and the decisions we make can and do have impacts worlds away.
In the middle of local struggles in Oregon to protect the basic services that we count on daily: free education, health care for the disabled and elderly, and public safety, we can also keep in mind the struggles of others that are connected to us.
ROP is Getting on the Bus! (to protest deportation!)
ROP is joining a multistate caravan to California this week to protest deportation and demand immigration reform now.
Real people’s lives are being impacted right now by our broken detention and deportation systems.
* My friend who is a high school counselor is spending this week in Tacoma in court because one of her students is in the process of deportation to a country he’s never been to and only has distant relatives who live there.
* 300 farmworkers lost their jobs in Polk County recently
* 350 workers were recently detained in Laurel, Mississippi.
* And nearly 60% of immigrants detained this past year were handed over by local law enforcement, though most do not have a criminal conviction.
This system is hurting families every day. And ROP leaders Steve Milligan & Jerry Atkin are hitting the streets this week to speak out (or, getting on the bus that is!).
Read More
Oct. 2009 KTA: $10? Fund Education & Health with Fair Taxes!
Tax Fairness is essential to building a Democratic Economy where we all contribute a fair share of our income for the common good & all are able to access the basic services that we need. That’s why the upcoming special election is so crucial to Oregon’s future and the broader movement for a People’s Economy. […]
Read MoreROP’s Rural Media Center
*** Announcing Internship available with the Rural Media Center this summer! ***
***
Rural Organizing Project’s
Rural Media Center
"A hometown newspaper feels the pulse of the community. A [hometown paper’s] success lies in the community keeping the lines of communication open with the newspaper.” Lake Placid News
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Monthly Message Archive |
Mission:
The Rural Media Center is a project of the Rural Organizing Project and is developed by volunteers across the state who are committed to advancing the issues of democracy and justice in rural Oregon & actively building an independent progressive presence in the media.
In 2010 the Rural Media Center will focus on nurturing ‘Welcoming Communities’ and consciousness raising around justice and neighborliness for our immigrant community members. Ultimately, this infiltration of the media with positive message will slowly build a more inclusive community and, in turn, affect the discourse on Immigration Reform.
Get Involved:
Sign up for the Rural Media Center as an individual or elect a lead from your Human Dignity Group. It’s easy and almost anyone can do it! Do you read the paper? Do you want to? Do you want to improve your writing skills? Do you want support in ensuring your local media spreads the message of democracy and dignity? If you answered yes to even ONE of these questions, then you should join the RMC today.
Members of the RMC will generally commit to do one or more of these things:
- Monitor your local newspaper for articles or letters relating to immigration, alerting the RMC when you spot something of interest.
- Submit letters to the editor to your local newspaper and/ or help recruit others to submit LTEs.
- Keep in contact with the ROP RMC staff, Kari, about other opportunities to share the pro-human dignity messages and stories.
And what can you expect from the ROP central for the RMC?
- A Monthly “Welcoming Message” with the theme of the month, talking points and a sample letter,
- Support on getting your letters and opinion-editorials published in the paper,
- Connections with other RMC leads around the state,
- Trainings on messaging, writing, and Being the Media,
- Creative problem solving,
- Resource materials for you to utilize.
Contact cara@rop.org to sign up for the RMC!
Read More
Tax Fairness Campaign in a Box
So you want to help bring tax fairness to Oregon? You think it’s important to fund public services like education, health care and public safety? You think that corporations should pay more than $10 to support our state through taxes?
Great! Welcome to the team! Enclosed in this box is everything you’ll need to get started. You can use these resources to get ideas for how to make a difference in the January 2010 ballot measures 66 and 67, and to put together a plan at your group’s next meeting.
As always, we’d love to answer questions and help strategize with you: 503-543-8417, cara@rop.org
Read MoreLetter to Congressman Wu on Afghanistan
Congressman Wu needs to hear from you! On September 16th, Congressman Wu declared his support for another round of military escalation in Afghanistan. ROP is sending a letter to Wu in response – will you sign on? Signatures are due by 5:00pm Monday, October 12th. Jump to the bottom of the letter to Sign On. […]
Read MorePledge to Vote YES for Tax Fairness!
It’s amazing what $1 million dollars can buy.
We could fund more teachers or better healthcare, but no. Instead, we got a $1million dollar signature gathering drive headed by Kevin Mannix and Co. to attempt a repeal on the most progressive tax fairness measures Oregon has seen in years.
Mannix & Co turned in their signatures 9/25/09 and their measures to reverse tax fairness legislation will almost certainly be on our ballots in January 2010. They are fighting tax fairness measures passed by the State Legislature this year that raise the corporate minimum from $10 to the still low $150 and that ask rich families to pay a fair tax of 10.8% on income above $250,000.
The two measures protect about $1 billion in funding for schools, healthcare, and public safety without making things more difficult for middle-class families.Our job as voters is to affirm these measures by voting YES!
Read More
Marriage WILL be a Right in Oregon
Passion of rural leaders + Organization and Commitment = Freedom to Marry for ALL
This month, with the passion and expertise of small-town activists and Human Dignity Groups, ROP is kicking off our participation in a campaign to advance LGBTQ rights by making the Freedom to Marry a right of ALL committed couples in Oregon.
Read MoreTax Fairness Pledge
VOTE YES!
Preserve Our Schools! Protect Oregon’s Future! Pass Tax Fairness!
It’s time for a change. Oregon’s corporate minimum income tax hasn’t been changed since 1931. For years, two-thirds of the corporations doing business in Oregon have paid only $10 in the corporate minimum income tax.
Enduring Freedom?
This coming October 7th will mark the eight year anniversary of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
And this Monday, September 21st, is the International Day of Peace. Across rural Oregon, ROP member groups and allies are organizing events, marches, festivals and concerts to lift up peace and call for an end to these costly wars….
Read More
Fall 2009 Peace Calendar
Friday, September 18
- Fourth Annual Pinwheels for Peace, 3:30 to 4:45 pm on the Courthouse lawn in Corvallis. Speakers, entertainment by the Raging Grannies and River Rocks, and PINWHEELS! (literally they are making pinwheels from paper and sticks and decorating the courthouse lawn with them)
Saturday, September 19
- First Annual Corvallis Peace Fair, 1:00 to 4:30 pm at Central Park in Corvallis. Musical performance by “Absolute,” Mexican, Hawaiian and Egyptian dance performances, an interactive rhythm circle, games and craft activities for kids, video messages for our sister cities and sister state, and a parade!
- Peace Concert, 7:00 – 8:30pm, First Baptist Church in McMinnville with Yamhill Valley Peacemakers. Featuring stories and songs and visitors from the Hiroshima World Friendship Center.
Monday, September 21
- Interfaith Choral Concert, at 7:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, 2945 NW Circle Blvd.
- Human Dignity Advocates will be celebrating the International Day of Peace with an all day vigil (7 am – 7 pm) in Pioneer Park in Prineville. Our theme is "Peace Begins When the Hungry are Fed." We’re asking people who stop by our table to bring a non-perishable food item. And at 5:15 there will be an hour of free yoga for people to enjoy in the park.
Friday, October 2
- "The Invasion of Afghanistan, 8 Years Later": Expanded Rally and March for Peace and Justice, 5:00 PM, Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Yamhill and Broadway in Portland. Organized by Portland Peaceful Response Coalition (PPRC) in cooperation with Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group and others. More info: http://www.pjw.info/afghanistan8ylannounce.html
Saturday, October 17
- Peace March with Community Alliance of Lane County in Eugene. (Check back for details!)
Read More
ROP & Techies Unite!
This is about the future, in two parts: Part 1 – you are invited to join our ROP Tech Team & Part 2 – we want to help all Human Dignity Groups out there join the new media revolution! Part 1: ROP Technological Advancement Gosh, social justice work requires a lot of […]
Read MoreHealthcare Tour Blog with ROP
ROP Board member and good friend Bill W. from La Grande is on tour with the Mad As Hell Doctors, crossing the country stirring up support for single-payer healthcare. They kicked off in Corvallis on September 8 and will end in Washington DC on October 1.
Bill is sending ROP regular updates about their adventures, their successes and what it’s like to fight for justice from inside a giant tour bus with a bunch of MDs. Read his adventures on our Facebook page!
We want to hear your comments too! Did you go to the kickoff? Are you on the Tour? Are you a medical professional for universal healthcare? Are you involved in the morass of the healthcare system & see the need for something better? Tell us your story — join ROP’s September push for Healthcare where everyone in IN and no one is OUT. Send your story to cara@rop.org or post in on the comments section of our facebook page!
Thanks to ROP’s best friend – Jess – for being our posting guru & helping Bill’s adventures see the light of day.
Read MoreTake Action to Protect the Gorge!
Take action now to protect the Gorge and
to build a Democratic Economy!
The Columbia River Gorge is one of our state’s most precious resources. Like elsewhere in Oregon, its natural resources have not always added up to an abundance of family wage jobs. Right now, the future of this area is in the balance, as two multinational corporations are positioning themselves to take advantage of our unemployment pains and offer Oregonians some nefarious jobs in return for our rights and our values…
Health Care
“The foundation of a great country is not, as we’ve seen, based on great wealth. Its wealth, at its core, is the health, education, and well-being of its people; those who keep the wheels of industry moving – eventually contributing to the growth and development of the national spirit. To further the goal of reforming our health care system, we believe that there should be an important paradigm shift that recognizes that good health is a right, and not a privilege.”
– Florence Coalition for Change (Coastal Lane County, Oregon)
Take Action!
- Share Stories from your County about the need for healthcare reform as part of ROP’s September Kitchen Table Activism
- Sign the Healthcare NOT Warfare petition.
- Participate in your local Town Hall.
A Few Resources on Health Care Reform
(e-mail your favorites to cara@rop.org and we’ll post them here).
Chart: Who’s Paying to Kill Health Care Reform? – http://www.ourfuture.org/files/AHIP_chart.jpg
Organizations advocating for single payer:
(e-mail your favorites to cara@rop.org and we’ll post them here).
Chart: Who’s Paying to Kill Health Care Reform? – http://www.ourfuture.org/files/AHIP_chart.jpg
Organizations advocating for single payer:
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Physicians for a National Health Program – http://www.pnhp.org/
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Healthcare NOW! – http://www.healthcare-now.org/
Organizations advocating for affordable, quality coverage for all (but not necessarily single payer):
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Healthcare for America Now (HCAN) – http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org/
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Oregon Center for Public Policy (http://www.ocpp.org/) coordinates a coalition working for health care reform that includes unions, community-based groups, Oregon Health Action Campaign (http://www.ohac.org/), HCAN and OSPIRG.
Read More
Sept. 2009 KTA: Our Power in the Healthcare Debate: The Small Town Story
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? In September, our legislators wave goodbye to Oregon and fly back to Washington, DC to put their heads together and make decisions that will affect us all. In this moment, with the possibility of dramatic changes to our health care system, Human Dignity Groups play a crucial role in keeping our values at the forefront […]
Read MoreBack to SAFER Schools Time
The first day of school is just around the corner. Because of your support, Oregon’s students are going back to much safer classrooms this year.
Read MoreHalfway through: ROP’s Reflections on Town Hall Madness
ROP has been coordinating with local member groups to get out a united, progressive voice at nearly every rural Town Hall. By the end of September, we will have coordinated nearly 40 teams of local organizers and activists in dozens of communities to bring strong messages for justice to our Congresspeople’s public meetings.
Town Hall Tips
Leslie Rubenstein reports from Cottage Grove, “Suggestions for upcoming Town Halls: get there really early, not only to get a seat, but also to circulate and have friendly conversations, cheerfully scoping out the crowd but also mentioning courtesy and civility. I think the tenor of the crowd can be affected by projecting a sense of neighborliness instead of antagonism, and dispersing through the crowd so that disrupters can’t be in their own isolated group.”
We are half way through this recess’s Town Halls with 29 under our belt and 14 more scheduled. Implementing what we’ve learned so far is going to help Eastern Oregon get the most out of your upcoming meetings with the Senator. See below for tips for success and ideas from other town halls.
ROP is working to organize a statewide presence of progressive folks at the Congressional Town Halls that have been lightening rods for the Radical Right. We want to coordinate with you to bring a united front of justice, Healthcare for All and Immigrant’s Rights to our Senator’s attention this week. Tap into the strength of one united voice.
This Fall the critical message is a message of unity:
HEALTHCARE AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
***
Tips on how to have a positive Town Hall:
Arrive two hours early
In McMinnville – 500 people came. In Port Orford – 200 people came. In Seaside – 300 people came. Get there 2 hours in advance! Have at least one person stationed outside the venue to hand out flyers, stickers and welcome folks to the meeting.
Tell your personal story and ask pointed questions
See the Talking Points for examples. Progressive voices are getting drowned out of the conversation. Be the first person to ask a question – this will help set the tone of the meeting. It is likely that the Senator will use a raffle system for questions where everyone gets a number and then the numbers get drawn to determine who gets to speak. Get EVERYONE to get numbers, even if they don’t want to speak, and give them to someone who does.
Bring a clear message
Figure out your phrase and use it as many times as you can! ROP is using HEALTHCARE AND IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS. It’s simple & addresses two main issues of the day that are critically linked. The Right is linking these two issues – stand strong that healthcare reform means everyone IN & no one OUT.
Be visible/ Be creative
The Senator won’t know where you stand if you don’t have a sign that tells him! Make a sign, wear a large bright sticker and make yourself visible. Do not be obnoxious or disruptive but do be creative.
In Newberg progressive took up the first two rows of seats and greeted Rep. Wu as he walked in the room with a standing ovation & a clear healthcare message.
In Cave Junction they bought a large cake – handed out pieces to participants and gave Rep. DeFazio a piece as he was leaving the event. Write your message on the cake and get the newspaper to take a picture!
Engage people beyond the Town Hall
Have flyers about your group and ROP to hand out to progressives you see in the crowd – build the movement one person at a time! Take a sign in sheet to get their contact info.
Check out the Town Halls Are Happening! post for flyers, talking points and more!
Read MoreThey divide, we unite! Working people & taxes.
Of course, it couldn’t be more obvious that workers on the left and on the right have similar interests – affordable quality healthcare, control over our own destinies & a tax system where all income levels pitch in an equal amount. Perhaps we have different approaches, but the same needs.
If only it were that simple, right! There are other factors to consider but the bottom line is that the multi-national corporate interests and uber-wealthy folks are pitting working people against each other in order to maintain power. We know who benefits by maintaining the current healthcare system, keeping immigrants hidden in the underground & stopping a tax increase on the wealthiest Oregonians.
As the powers-that-be become more desperate to separate us, this is our opportunity to be uniters of working people in our communities.
Read More
Decline to Sign 2009!
Between now and Sept 25th, 2009 Americans Against Job Killing Taxes will be walking your streets to collect 55,000 signatures in an attempt to put the Tax Reform passed by the Oregon Legislature on the ballot. They hope that screaming "Tax Increase" will get voters to reject these tax reforms in January 2010.
The tax reform can best be described as getting the wealthiest 10% of Oregonians to pay their 10.8% into the tax pot just like you and I put our 9% in. The reform will only affect people that make $125,000 or more per year. It also raises the corportate minimum tax (which 2/3 of companies pay) from $10 to $150. Check out this article for more details.
Sign up here to DECLINE TO SIGN this petition. If these make it to the ballot they will be costly abuses of democracy and will undoubtedly pit working people on the left and right against each other in order to protect the wealthy few.
Stand up as an American for Fair Taxes; or an American for Job Creating Infrustructure Based on a Fair Tax System; or even an American for Taxing the Wealthy and the Workers at an Equal Rate. Or whatever your favorite lengthy title is!
To be a DECLINE TO SIGNer send an email to Kari@rop.org
with your name
Phone
County of Residence
and we will keep you updated on the campaign!
Let us know if you see petition collectors in your town.
Read MoreOur Vision of an Economy that Works.
It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks across small-town Oregon as our Congresspeople return from D.C. to get our opinions on the crucial issues of the day. At the forefront of just about every Town Hall meeting in the country has been the issue of healthcare.
As a country, we are asking some deep questions here, and we’re getting some very serious responses.
(Photo from August 13 town hall meeting in North Bend.)
Read More
Congressional Town Halls are HAPPENING!
We attended the town hall meeting in Tillamook on Saturday with Senator Jeff Merkley, and saw firsthand the same tactics. People armed with clipboards and reading from their "talking points memos" filled the hall, kept their hands in the air so no one else could be called on, stood up and/or shouted out if they weren’t called on, and in general monopolized the meeting. Some of them were probably local, but some were not. From what I’ve seen on video of other similar meetings, ours was rather subdued.
– Judith Allen of Tillamook
This August’s congressional recess is a hot political opportunity.
The teabaggers of the Right know it – and they are ORGANIZED.
Are we?
Read MoreAug 2009 KTA: Healthcare – Turn UP the heat in August
“The foundation of a great country is not, as we’ve seen, based on great wealth. Its wealth, at its core, is the health, education, and well-being of its people; those who keep the wheels of industry moving – eventually contributing to the growth and development of the national spirit. To further the goal of reforming […]
Read MoreThinking Winter as an Oregon Heat Wave Arrives!
This Summer we tuck a successful Oregon legislative session to bed. We have much to celebrate (fusion, tax progress etc see https://rop.org/2009-legislative-wrap-up-highlights-and-challenges-ahead). Any caretaker knows, though, that tucking a child in bed is not really successful until silence reigns for a bit. What are we hearing in Oregon…..
Not silence.
Read More
The People’s Economy in Southern Oregon
Do you live in Coos County or Josephine County?
Join ROP for one of these 4 community gatherings and join the conversation about how to Build a New, more Democratic Economy
Read More
Bring Your Money Home: Switch Kit
Bringing Your Money Home means …
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Divesting from Bailout Banks and moving your money into community banks or credit unions.
- Local control and doing business with people you trust,
building a strong local economy - More of our resources stay in our towns – creating jobs, making loans and supporting local priorities.
****
ROP’s BYMH easy switch kit walks you through moving your money to a local bank or credit union, step by step. Got direct deposit or automatic payments? BYMH forms are all you need to transfer these services from your old account to your new one!
Download here:
- Small-town Banking Brochure
- BYMH Switch Kit
- BYMH Direct Deposit Form
- BYMH Automatic Payment Form
- BYMH Close Account Form
Read More
Beyond Know Your Rights Call
Please join ROP and immigrant rights activists around the state for a
Beyond Know Your Rights
Conference Call
Tuesday, July 14th from 3:00 – 4:15 pm
InFusion of democracy in the 2 party system
What if there were political parties other than Democrat and Republican? Well, of course, there are. Though minor parties are often underrepresented on our ballots & portrayed as less than credible by mainstream institutions. Meanwhile, less than half of eligible voters in Oregon are identified as either D’s or R’s (47%). So, branching […]
Read MoreGuard Home Campaign Considers Successes as Legislative Session Comes to a Close
Education on the Issue of "Who Decides on War?" Key to Year-Long Effort
As Oregon’s 2009 Legislative session comes to a close, organizers of the
"Campaign to Keep Oregon’s Guard in Oregon" are reviewing their successes
over a year, despite the fact that efforts to pass a bill and a Joint
Memorial did not come to fruition. The bill, HB 2556, would have written
into law the Governor’s power to review federal orders for mobilizing the
Oregon National Guard to ensure those orders were lawful and based on a
valid enactment by Congress. The Memorial, HJM 5-1 (with proposed
amendments), would have informed Congress that Oregon’s Legislature
believes the state has the responsibility to review such orders for their
legality.
"Campaign to Keep Oregon’s Guard in Oregon" are reviewing their successes
over a year, despite the fact that efforts to pass a bill and a Joint
Memorial did not come to fruition. The bill, HB 2556, would have written
into law the Governor’s power to review federal orders for mobilizing the
Oregon National Guard to ensure those orders were lawful and based on a
valid enactment by Congress. The Memorial, HJM 5-1 (with proposed
amendments), would have informed Congress that Oregon’s Legislature
believes the state has the responsibility to review such orders for their
legality.
“I’m off to Have a Baby!”
I’m off to have a baby! Tomorrow, July 3rd, is the first day of my 3 month leave where I will start learning how to be a parent to my first child due July 11th. I’m calling it my sabbatical to learn how to be a movement mama. I feel so fortunate to be able […]
Read MoreJuly 2009 KTA: That Perfect Summer Day
Summertime in Oregon is about as good as it gets, with community parades, farmers markets, and fairs nearly every weekend. That’s why the July KTA activity is to take advantage of these community celebrations to celebrate the launch of a statewide Peoples Economy! So, go to the market, hangout at the parade & get a […]
Read More2009 Legislative Wrap Up – Highlights and Challenges Ahead
The 2009 Oregon Legislative Session concludes with some notable victories – passage of safe schools legislation that protects kids from harassment, a budget that funds schools and increases veterans benefits, improvements to tax fairness on the revenue front, and the failure of all anti-immigrant legislation to name a few. These successes were supported by more than 50 ROP members who consistently wrote letters, made calls, sent emails and faxes, and wrote letters to the editor to keep our priorities clear and present. Thank you, ROPers!
ROP’s 2009 Legislative Platform
In the 2009 Legislature, ROP will raise up a legislative platform that says YES to Rebuilding Oregon and NO to the Cost of War at Home and Abroad.
Now is the time to transform our hope for change into action at local, state, and national levels. We can turn back the tide of the past eight years and beyond and begin a new era of interdependence, respect, innovation, and community building rooted in true peace, justice, and democracy.
Read MoreContact Your Oregon State Representatives
It’s important for our elected officials to hear from us on issues we care about most. It’s easy to do. Just go to the Oregon State Legislature Page to find your Senator’s and Representative’s contact information.
Read MoreROP and Immigrants Rights in 2009
In 2009, tensions around immigration have heightened in communities across rural Oregon and the country. And, as in years past, immigration fairness is a priority for ROP in 2009. Follow the link below for an overview of ROP’s Immigration Fairness workplan for this year.
Read More
We Must Build a People’s Economy!
Over the next year, ROP will be working with Human Dignity Groups and partner organizations throughout the state to create a broad movement for economic justice in rural Oregon.
Our People’s Economy Campaign will focus on three key areas – education, action, and policy change.
Pride 2009: ROP’s Top Three Reasons to be PROUD!
June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, and wow, do Oregon’s supporters of justice and human dignity for ALL sure have a lot to be proud of!
Check out
ROP’s Top Three Reasons to be Proud
for Pride 2009:
Read More
Gimme 3 steps toward that door
Afghanistan has never been off the table. It has always been a part of the war on terror, though for the past few years it has been overshadowed by the clearly despicable Iraq Occupation. And in some ways, this might very well have been to our anti-war advantage now.
This weekend, we’re counting on you to participate in three Calls to Action that attack the war in Afghanistan from different angles, 3 steps toward that door out of war (Skynyrd anyone?).
Let’s Build a People’s Economy!
Building a democratic economy starts here!
Rural Organizing Project is working with our member groups to bring the economy into the forefront of our organizing. Below is a menu of options for your group to consider on how to organize in this economic crisis.
Living Room Conversation on the Economy: Gather friends, neighbors, members and supporters of your human dignity group for a conversation on the economy. A ROP staff person can lead your group through a conversation that explores: why we are in a recession, strategies other communities are using to respond to this crisis, opportunities and challenges for organizing locally.
Roundtable Dialogues: ROP will work with you to bring together community leadership with concerned community members & activists to learn more about how the crisis is playing out in your county, assess what needs there are, what programs are already in place, analyze who the current economy is benefiting, consider what opportunities there are to build a more democratic economy locally and identify barriers to getting us there. Current consensus around the need to do things differently opens up conversation in new ways and creates potential new alliances in our communities. Roundtable participants have ranged from: elected officials, small business owners, credit union/community bankers, homeowners in foreclosure, social service agencies, education leadership, community action team, Latino leadership, small business owners. ROP will work with your group to evaluate who to invite in your community, put together an agenda, and facilitate the Roundtable Dialogue.
Hometown Strategies: Hometown Strategies are locally focused survival economics programs and organizing campaigns that not only work with people in our communities to survive this moment but also implement locally led plans that bring us closer to making a more democratic economy. We will be focusing on strategies that infuse organizing into meeting basic needs. Read more about Hometown Strategies in place in other communities by clicking on the below links:
Have a Hometown Strategy that is working in your community? Share it with the ROP by emailing cara(at)rop.org
Accountability: Join ROP’s statewide efforts to help hold accountable those responsible for the economic recession. Email cara(at)rop.org for more details on this strategy and opportunities to be engaged.
Economists on Tour: Get one for your town: ROP is organizing touring economists to come visit your town to talk about how we got into this crisis and some smart ideas for getting us out of this mess. Are you interested in hosting a Visiting Economist (credentials and all)? You would set them up with a few different stops in your town at the Rotary, the Soroptimists, the local radio program or wherever the people gather. Contact cara(at)rop.org to get your dates on the calendar!
What is Democratic Economy?
Rural Oregon has been hard hit by the economic crisis. We see double digit unemployment rates in practically every county. The rate of people on food stamps is double or triple what it was one year ago. And there is no solution in sight from the federal government or big business.
ROP is engaging in a long term campaign to look at what it means to build strong local economies & resilient communities.
Now is our opportunity to reach into the mess of the economic crisis and pull out our direction for a better future – a future where our communities are valued, our neighbors are secure and our children have opportunity. This is a chance to revamp the systems that have failed us in these past years.
This is the place to find the newest information on the current Democratic Economy campaign, our analysis on the Economic Collapse, and ways to join the conversation about rebuilding our economy from a local perspective.
Democratic Economy means that local communities should have a say in economic decisions that impact their communities. It means that these decisions should not be made by a few people but by the people most affected. It is about keeping local control over local resources.
When most of us think of our economy, we think of it as something that is slightly mysterious, external, neutral, and decipherable only by experts. In reality, our economy is what we do with our money and how we get our needs met, but we have too often ceded control to experts who are external to our communities or to a few wealthy individuals or corporations who control a disproportionate amount of local resources and may not have the interests of the majority of our community members at heart – or even know what those interests are.
ROP’s campaign to build Hometown Strategies for Democratic Economy is rooted in local control and decision making, local wisdom and experience, and fairness and equity in economic development and resource management. We believe that through collective action as a community we can transform our economies to work for all of us.
Read MoreTurn UP the Volume!
On July 1st, 285 families and individuals in the Northwest part of Oregon will be turned out of their homes.
Columbia County, where most of those evictions will take place, has an unemployment rate of 15.4%. As the economic crisis deepens, it becomes clear that what we need is more support for our neighbors that have been hardest hit, not less. We need a way to ensure a basic standard of living for everybody in our community, and that includes the poor, the disabled, and the elderly.
Read MoreMs. Paterno Goes to Washington: In Her Own Words
I was one of the lucky ones to take part in the Reform Immigration for America Campaign Summit in
We (everyone of us) have to exercise our power, turn up the heat, get organized and put the pressure on! Our elected officials can only act boldly if they believe their constituents are demanding it.
One of my most meaningful experiences happened before I got there – on my flight between
Stand with Kathy for Immigration Reform
Yesterday more than 700 advocates descended on Capitol Hill to tell Congress: "We cannot wait any longer. America needs to reform immigration now."
Among those hundreds was ROP’s very own newly elected board chair, Kathy Paterno from member group Human Dignity Advocates in Crook County. Kathy is representing ROP as a member of the delegation from Oregon that includes CAUSA, PCUN, and Mujeres Luchadores Progresistas who are in Washington D.C for four days to attend the largest convening of immigration reform advocates and allies of the year.
Read MoreUP the Earned Income Tax Credit!
Take action for economic justice here at home by calling, writing or e-mailing your state legislators as well as Senate President Peter Courtney, Senate Revenue Chair Ginny Burdick, House Speaker Dave Hunt and House Revenue Chair Phil Barnhart and urging them to support an increase in the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which benefits low income families in Oregon.
Read MoreJune 2009 KTA: Schedule your “People’s Economy Living Room Conversation”
This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is all about understanding how we got into this mess and how we can get out of it as a stronger community. We need to smarten ourselves up around the economy & how to fix it; this is your chance to dig in with ROP to be a smart, savvy […]
Read MoreBlackberry Pie Society Tells It Like It Is
If you’re feeling confused about all the different provisions of the economic stimulus and how you might benefit from them, you’re not the only one. ROP member group Blackberry Pie Society out of Cottage Grove in Lane County decided to sort through the details and figure out which parts of the stimulus regular community members might […]
Read MoreWhen it’s not enough just to “Know Your Rights”…
What’s to be done when people’s basic constitutional and human rights are violated by the very folks whose job it is to protect them?
Read MoreBend Bulletin: Red, White & Pink
Age, gender come into play at ‘Peace Corner’ protests
By David Jasper / The Bulletin
Each Friday afternoon, armed with their signs, voices and strong personal conviction, a group of Central Oregon women in their 60s and 70s stand side-by-side in downtown Bend, voicing their opposition to the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They gather at the intersection of Wall Street and Greenwood Avenue — informally dubbed “Peace Corner” at some point during the past several years — where they wave and hold signs aimed at passers-by from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Many of these women are members of CodePink, a national group of women (and men) who voice, sometimes in controversial ways, their feelings about war and peace. According to CodePink’s Web site, it “is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education, “green” jobs and other life-affirming activities.”
A small but dedicated group of local citizens has protested the ongoing war for years. Their grass-roots activities date back to the ramp-up to war in Iraq in January 2003, when a large group of people began meeting at the intersection of Third Street and Greenwood Avenue in the heart of Bend before moving to Wall and Greenwood a few years ago.
Monday, five women in their 60s and 70s, all regulars at the weekly protest, sat in a room at the Bend Public Library and discussed their actions and motivations.
They are Meg Brookover, 66; Janet Whitney, 70; Beth Hanson, 61; Betsy Lamb, 70; and Kathy Paterno, 60.
About 90 percent of people driving, walking or riding by echo support for their cause, they say.
The women say they love it when younger people, usually teens passing by, join them during the protests.
“Teenagers will sometimes stop, and they’ll want to hold signs. The younger girls love it because they get attention,” said Whitney. “But maybe that’s why we go out.”
Someone else answers, laughing, that “I thought we were cute in pink.”
There are about 160 people on CodePink’s local mailing list, says Brookover; some of them are men such as Phil Randall, 65. Randall is an Air Force veteran who was stationed in Germany from 1967 to 1970, he said Thursday by phone.
An “honorary” CodePink member, Randall says the ratio of men to women protesting changes weekly, and he says that the average age of protesters might be 60, skewed by one woman who attends and is only 45.
Like many in the movement, he’s puzzled by the generation gap that finds younger adults not so interested in the cause of peace.
Some attribute the presumed indifference among those in their 20s and 30s to the fact that many are raising families. Randall, who has three young adult sons, doesn’t quite buy that.
“I have three kids,” he said. “I’m raising a family. I’m a husband, I’m a father.”
He’s been at the Friday afternoon protests for six years and estimates they have “about 98 percent of the people with us,” he said. “Most people flash us peace signs. I have a sign that says ‘honk for peace,’ and they honk for peace.
“It’s crazy, because it’s younger people, the people who, I think, we’re trying to save their lives, who flip us off or get angry at us or, we’ll call it ‘drive-by shouting.’ I don’t know.
“It’s just weird. I would really like to talk to people that disagree with us. … Quite a few of us guys who are there were in the military. It’s not like we’re naive or hippies,” said Randall.
Whitney says she did her best to protest during the Vietnam War in Santa Cruz, Calif., where she ran with a crowd who felt just as she did.
“I was raising four little kids,” she said. “So I’m sympathetic to the fact that you try to make things work in your day.”
Paterno stresses that the women of CodePink don’t take pains to recruit others, preferring to let the cause draw people in of its own accord.
Betsy Lamb, wearing a bright CodePink shirt, says her activism stems from her faith.
“I grew up very much oriented toward being charitable, and helping one another and being involved in volunteer organizations,” she says. “I’d grown up with a Sunday school Jesus who was meek and loving … but I never knew the Jesus who was resisting both civil and religious rules of his day.”
It wasn’t until the early ’80s, when she took a course in liberation theology, that she made the connection “between the fact that people need help, and the fact that there are causes for the reasons that they need help.”
Before moving to Bend in 2005, she lived in Washington, D.C., where, as a result of her protesting, she was briefly locked up in a U.S. Park Police holding cell on March 19, 2003, the start of the Iraq war. She says it was “the only place that I felt good being at that time.”
Beth Hanson of the Peace Center of Central Oregon strives to teach compassionate communication, “starting a culture of peace on an individual level.”
Hanson points out that the word “peace” “has become such a broad term and is sometimes considered idealistic or too idealistic.” She’s fond of a Ronald Reagan quote: “Peace is not the absence of conflict, it’s the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”
“Throw it in, and then a few more people will listen,” Whitney says, laughing.
Reagan’s viewpoint was similar to the one they’re coming from, said Hanson, who’s not officially a member of CodePink.
“Human nature is to react,” said Hanson. “But part of our mission is to raise our own consciousness … and then send that outwards by talking to other people about it.”
Adds Whitney: “I think it’s really important for us to practice … meditation and reflection, as (Hanson) says, in our own individual lives, and ask every day for support in dealing nonviolently with people around us and the community. Without that base, we don’t have much to go on.”
Along with the weekly Peace Corner protests, members write letters to newspapers and members of Congress.
“It makes us feel good to be part of the vision, to make some kind of a statement of hope, because we know other people want to feel that.”
Paterno, who lives in Powell Butte, is part of the Rural Organizing Project, which is “like a mother ship of social justice and democracy in Oregon,” she said. The group helps those in small communities become more active and participate in democracy.
She, along with Lamb and Brookover, was among a group of six — all women — arrested in 2007 at Rep. Greg Walden’s Bend office, where they staged a sit-in when he wouldn’t meet with them in person to talk about funding the war.
Randall says he’d been with the women earlier in the day but was not willing to be arrested.
He has a theory as to why so many women share a concern for peace.
“I think women are drawn to the peace movement because women give birth,” he said. “A baby is born and they nurture that baby. … I think women are more in touch with their nurturing self than men are.”
Lamb expresses concern, though, that they may have less influence, “not so much because of our age, but because we’re women.”
CodePink garnered criticism when some members called former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld a “war criminal” as he entered the White House Correspondents’ Dinner earlier this month.
While such actions might be “out there,” Lamb says, “the voice that is heard in the powers in this country is still the voice of the white male with a necktie. There’s no way a group of women of any age is going to have the voice that a white man of any age is going to have just by going in to see his legislator.
“The things that CodePink is saying so need to be said, that it’s so important that women who are ready to do so stand up and really speak things out in the way that they need to be heard. Even if it’s not acceptable in our culture.”
Says Whitney, “It starts here. It starts at home. It starts with us.”
Oregon’s getting closer and Cindy Sheehan’s coming to help
You and I get to claim a great victory on having shifting the national conscience away from supporting the occupation in Iraq, especially with all of our diligent work in rural Oregon often making peace a part of daily life. This Memorial Day week ahead we can set our sight on the next big victory. Because even as the Senate passed a war funding bill for Afghanistan and Iraq, Oregon is inching ever closer to bringing our troops home. We are still fighting Capitol Hill to turnoff the endless funding stream, but our greatest power seems to lie in targeting the war in our own backyards.
Learn from the Best!
It is not often that we think something is so cool, so useful, and so fun that we ask you to leave your communities and venture into urban craziness of Portland, but the Western States Center’s annual Community Strategic Training Initiative (CSTI) promises to be worth the trip! Hosted at the beautiful Reed College campus, […]
Read MoreElection Day Matters!
Don’t let this election day slide under your radar! You have until 8pm tonight, Tuesday, May 19th, to turn your ballots in. It’s too late to mail them, so you’ll need to drop them off. For a listing of drop sites, go here.
At a time when our schools are facing deep cuts and shortened school years, electing strong school board candidates is even more important.
Read MoreBeware the Shell Game
From reading the papers and listening to the news, we are hearing about budget cuts, shorter school years, reduced services, and more budget cuts. Seniors are competing with kids, healthcare is competing with transportation, and the hungry are competing with people with disabilities. The most vulnerable are vying for pieces of a pie that will never feed us all!
But that’s the shell game! We follow the holes in the budget and see that they don’t add up, but we don’t see that the wealth exists in our state, if not in our state’s budget! The real problem is that we are not sharing the responsibility for taking care of our needs. Instead we are trying to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and most vulnerable in Oregon who are exactly the same folks who have been hardest hit by the economic crisis.
Read More
Paying a Fair Share is Budget Balance!
From reading the papers and listening to the news, we are hearing about budget cuts, shorter school years, reduced services, and more budget cuts. Seniors are competing with kids, healthcare is competing with transportation, and the hungry are competing with people with disabilities. The most vulnerable are vying for pieces of a pie that will never feed us all!
But that’s the shell game! We follow the holes in the budget and see that they don’t add up, but we don’t see that the wealth exists in our state, if not in our state’s budget! The real problem is that we are not sharing the responsibility for taking care of our needs. Instead we are trying to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and most vulnerable in Oregon who are exactly the same folks who have been hardest hit by the economic crisis.
Read MoreEllie Fired her Bank! And so can you.
Read about how ROP member Ellie Pope told WaMu "You’re Fired!"
Join Ellie’s movement or go your own direction, we’ve got some ideas for your group right here!
ROP knows that we don’t have the golden answer, but we do have some ideas.
- How would you like to Fire Your Bank? Or even better, how would you like to get your city to fire their bank and invest our money in local institutions like Credit Unions or Community Banks?
- What about a Building a Just Economy for Working People forum where you can craft your own ideas and bring in new people from a variety of communities to explore local solutions?
- What if your garden was about more than growing food but about growing a movement?
- What do you think about asking your county to only Buy American products and use only American labor with their stimulus money?
Read More
Justice for Victims of Hate Crimes: Oregon House Joint Memorial 22
Often it feels like the wheels of justice turn oh-so-slowly. Sometimes they even seem to roll backwards. But now, at least one wheel is turning relatively quickly. With another push or two from all of us in rural Oregon, we can help ensure just a little more justice for victims of hate crimes. Shortly after […]
Read MoreMay 2009: Rural Oregon’s Call: Justice for All!
The current economic crisis makes it all the more crucial that our nation reform its immigration system, and in a way that protects the rights of all workers. This May, rural Oregon will stand united in our call: Justice for All – starting with our presence at tomorrow’s May Day marches!
Read MoreCommunity Demonstration Garden at ROP
Community Demonstration Garden Planned at ROP House in Scappoose. Work Party on Saturday May 9th – 9 am to 12pm. We are planning a garden at the ROP house, 33421 SW Maple in Scappoose, across from the Middle School. We hope that a community-tended garden of ornamentals, fruit bearing plants, and raised vegetable beds will […]
Read MoreStand Strong Against Hate!
Progressive rural Oregon has stepped up with bold responses to recent challenges to community peace and unity, but now more than ever we count on the ROP network throughout the state of Oregon to maintain vigilance and open lines of communication. Let’s send a message to hate groups and perpetrators of hate crimes that says, […]
Read MoreRoad to Recovery
On February 17th, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a huge and potentially signficant investment in the US economy. While many of the local projects have been submitted and much of the funds have already been allocated, we have a role to play in deciding how our tax dollars should be used. What is the legacy of this huge investment? More jails or better healthcare? And who will be hired for these upgrades?
Read MoreBenji Lewis: War Resister
It’s not every day that somebody in our community makes an enormous personal sacrifice in order to stand up for their beliefs.
That’s why the Rural Organizing Project has decided to co-sponsor a Speakers Tour featuring war resister Benji Lewis from Corvallis.
Are you interested in hosting Benji? Read more to find out if he is already scheduled for a visit to your town, or to learn more about his tour.
Read MoreGetting Prepared for May 19th.
Are you feeling powerless? Does it seem like you are at the mercy of banks, loans, government with little accountability? While it takes a grand effort on our parts to have a voice in economic bailouts or Obama’s foreign policy, we actually do have a lot of control over some of the simple things […]
Read MoreCoos County needs your Voice!
ROP board member and member of Concerned Citizens of Coquille Mary Geddry has been working for years to get to this point. Her visionary wind power project that would create jobs, energy independence, and revenue for coastal Coos County and local town school districts, is being considered for funding in Washington D.C. this week. The […]
Read MoreTEA Parties: Throwing Common Sense in the River
A Tax Day TEA Party sounds like an interesting idea, a clever take on the Boston Tea Party theme of Democracy (No Taxation without Representation) and revolution in the face of imperialism. I can think of a few things I’d like to metaphorically throw in the river, but common sense is not one of them.
This year’s TEA parties are not what they seem; they are a vehicle for the Radical Right to promote their repressive agenda as fiscal conservativism on Tax day 2009. And watch out Oregon friends — they are coming to your town!
Read MoreThe Courts Rule in Columbia County
Do you know someone unemployed, under-employed, at risk of losing their house and relying on the food bank to keep their family fed? You probably do. They may even live next door or closer. These are among the growing majority of people vulnerable to wanting someone to blame. The Madoff’s of the world are far away.
So who should we get mad at?
Read MoreVictory in Columbia County! Judge Overturns Anti-Immigrant Measure
ST. HELENS, Ore. – A Columbia County judge today overturned an anti-immigrant ballot measure approved last fall because it conflicts with federal immigration law and would have required the county to take enforcement actions beyond its authority.
Read MoreUp, up with Workers’ Rights!
May Day is coming up in just a couple of weeks and there is certainly plenty of reasons to come out this year.
Economic Justice for All!
Sustainable jobs for all!
Quality Health Care for all!
Money for human needs, not war!
Pass the Employee Free Choice Act!
Tax the corporations, banks and wealthy!
Stop the ICE Raids and End the Detentions!
Comprehensive Immigration Reform NOW!
No bailouts for the banks or corporations!
Stop evictions and foreclosures, housing is a human right!
Read More
Opportunity to host war resister Benji Lewis!
The Rural Organizing Project has decided to co-sponsor a Speakers Tour featuring war resister Benji Lewis from Corvallis.
If your group might be interested in hosting a stop on Benji’s tour, please get in touch with Amanda as soon as possible (cara@rop.org), so we can talk about what support ROP can offer your group, and get you in touch with Leah, the tour coordinator.
Let’s get Benji’s important message out to Oregon!
End the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan! Stop the violence abroad! Keep our youth in school not at war!
Coming Soon to a Community Near You…
In just a few days, our Representatives and Senators will be on their way home from D.C. for a legislative recess lasting from April 4th to April 19th, and we don’t want to let it go to waste! Congresspeople are home during these two weeks specifically to hear from us and get feedback before making decisions in DC that will affect us all. There are a number of very important issues that are being decided right now in Congress, and this recess offers us a unique opportunity to visit with our elected representatives on our own turf, and in our own communities.
Read MoreApril 2009 KTA: Bringing Our Money Home!
April 15th is Tax Day, a day that fills some with a sense of civic responsibility and most with a sense of dread. This year, as we file taxes, many of us are feeling an anger that we haven’t felt before. That’s why we’re turning this annual ritual into a reminder that it is our contributions […]
Read MoreTax the Bailout!
In October 2008, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) provided over $350 billion in federal funding to the largest US bank-holding companies. These are the financial institutions that have crashed both the US and Mexican economies and initiated a worldwide recession. While the bailout was tax-free from the federal standpoint, there is nothing to prevent a state from taxing the companies incorporated in that state that are subsidiaries of TARP recipients. A 35% charge on the subsidy within J.P. Morgan Chase’s Oregon TARP funds would yield over $17 million.
Read MoreUnderstanding the Crisis
Martin Hart Landsberg speaking at Plenary Session One from a recent Economic Town Hall in Portland Oregon. Actual presentation is 35 minutes in length (the second half of the file is black, just ignore it).
Read MoreClatsop County Human Dignity Community Organizes in Wake of Hate Crime
Seaside, Oregon — Two gay men survived a serious beating after their 4 attackers shouted homophobic slurs at them and left them unconscious on the beach. The attackers have not been found yet, but police have confirmed that they will prosecute this as a hate crime. Already the human dignity community in Clatsop County is […]
Read MoreOnce a Year Won’t Cut it. Call your Reps Today!
Last Monday, March 16th, with the nation buzzing and outrage building over the AIG bailout bonuses, Rural Organizing Project members from all corners of Oregon took those concerns and frustrations straight to our legislators in Salem for a Democracy Bailout Day.
Read MoreKeep the Guard in Oregon Updates and Action Alert
CONTACT HOUSE RULES, SPEAKER, AND YOUR LEGISLATORS TO KEEP THE GUARD IN OREGON — Thursday, March 19th
The Campaign to Keep Oregon’s Guard in Oregon continues to move forward; with an excellent hearing held in the House Rules committee last Wednesday (audio at http://www.leg.state.or.us/listn/archive/archive.2009s/HRULES-200903111501.ram), a well-covered rally and march on Sunday, and legislative visits to nearly every member of the legislature on Monday.
Read More36 hours & 36 counties — ROP Caucus in Salem
The 2009 ROP Caucus was a whirlwind of fascinating ideas, transformative strategizing, & inspiring people. There was action, networking, resource sharing, learning, marching, dancing, and multi-organizational, multi-ethnic power building.
Read More
Annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
On March 15th & 16th, 2009, ROP members from all corners of the state will converge on the Capitol in Salem for 36 hours to advance our progressive power. We’ll start with a Sunday Rural Caucus to hone our organizing strategies and skills and affirm our platform of specific policy needs. On Monday, we’ll take that platform to our Legislators and Governor, exposing the unacceptable Costs of the Wars at Home and Abroad and demanding a new deal for Rural Oregon’s communities and beyond.
We have worked hard to earn back some progressive, common sense power.
In 2009, we intend to use it.
Democracy Bailout!
We think that it is time for an infusion of democracy and a show of solidarity at the Capitol! That’s why ROP and our allies at PCUN, Oregon Action, AFSC, CALC, Center for Intercultural Organizing, and others are joining together for a Democracy Bailout Day of Action in Salem on Monday, March 16th.
Read MoreICE & Arpaio still terrorizing. Know Your Rights!
Today, the New York Times Editorial Page took the Obama Administration to task for their Bush-holdover immigration enforcement policies. Meanwhile, this past weekend thousands of people rallied in Phoenix against the dictatorial Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Check out the great coverage of the protest by Pacifica Radio. The public has tired of militaristic tactics in our streets and against our communities — activists know it and even the media knows it. Yet old policies remain the standard.
What do you do when raids, racial profiling, harassment or hate crimes happen in your community? And what are the alternatives to this broken system?
Read MoreStanding Out! for Gender Justice
The realities of day-to-day life for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Oregonians has changed a lot since ROP first organized rural communities to defeat Measure 9 – the anti-gay ballot measure which sought to define homosexuality as ‘abnormal and perverse’ and enjoin state agencies from doing anything to ‘promote the homosexual agenda.’ “[New laws] have […]
Read MoreMar 2009 KTA: Stories from Home
This year’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session is all about, “Organizing with Hope in Times of Crisis.” In preparation, Human Dignity Groups around the state will root out examples of Hope and Crisis in each of our communities, and collage them together to build the peoples’ story of struggle, courage and new models of survival in rural Oregon.
Think of it as a scavenger hunt, a show-and-tell, or a group crafts project. Bring your stories to the ROP Caucus coming up in a few short weeks and together we’ll build a visual representation of hope & crisis with pictures, brochures, art and news stories.
Read MoreTAKE ACTION: KEEP OREGON’S GUARD IN OREGON CALL IN DAY, THURSDAY FEB 26
Time is running short before half of Oregon’s National Guard troops are slated to deploy to Iraq in late March/early April, so we have scheduled a call-in day this Thursday, February 26, for you to contact your state representatives and senators in Salem!
Read MoreCollateral Repair Project
ROP members, Mary Madsen and Sasha Crow created a grassroots organization,
, to provide much needed assistance to Iraqi refugees. Sasha recently wrote to ROP from Jordan:
Read More400 Walk in Procession for Respect and Dignity
Yesterday, 400 members of the Columbia County Latino community and their allies joined together for a community walk, entitled “Procession for Respect and Dignity.”
Organized by Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor (LUFM), or Latinos United for a Better Future, the procession began at the First Christian Church and winded through St. Helens ending at the Columbia County Courthouse. The group had grown out of the struggle against two Columbia County ballot measures targeting the immigrant community.
Read MoreHow to Talk to your Neighbors about Immigration
While it seems like the anti-immigrant storm in Columbia County might drive Latino folks out of this rural community and into neighboring urban counties with larger Latino populations, the truth is that this is becoming a place where Latino’s are choosing to stand up and claim their home town pride. We think there is more to the story than bravery, which is undeniable. We think this is also a symptom of what happens when human dignity groups lift up such tactics and lay anti-oppression groundwork in their communities.
Read MoreA Smörgåsbord of Rural Organizing Delicacies
February 15th is our Early Bird Registration Deadline. Send in your registration form and check today to get the discount. The early bird does indeed get the worm! ROP’s Annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session A smörgåsbord of rural organizing delicacies. (and plenty of good ol’ home cookin’, too!) Come and get your fill […]
Read MoreBe a Part of the Action on February 16 in Salem!
Stand for Children’s Presidents Day Rally to Protect Kids and Schools
Times are tough, and they’re likely to get worse, but this is no time to stand on the sideline. Children growing up now cannot wait for an economic rebound. Their futures and the future of Oregon depend on decisions being made in Salem right now. Give children a voice in the legislature by taking part in Stand for Children’s Presidents Day Rally to Protect Kids and Schools. Bring your friends and family to Salem on February 16 and speak up for high-quality early education and strong K-12 schools.
Presidents Day Rally
Monday, February 16, 2009
State Capitol, Salem Rally at 12 p.m. Lobby day 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Learn more, register online, and reserve your seat on a bus coming from your community at www.stand.org/or/rally or call 1-800-663-4032.
Read MoreEndorse the Safe Schools Campaign!
Rural students are 26% more likely to experience bullying than their urban counterparts. Students of color, students with disabilities, and gay and transgender youth are also disproportionately impacted by bullying. The Safe Schools 2009 campaign will strengthen Oregon’s anti‐bullying law, ensure consistent enforcement, and help keep all children safe.
Endorse the campaign, read more about the campaign, and contact your legislator today!
Read MoreColumbia County Latinos lead Procession for Respect and Dignity
Calling All Supporters of Human Dignity!
On Wednesday, February 18th, members of the Columbia County Latino community and their allies will join together for a community walk, entitled
Procession for Respect and Dignity
The walk is a public demonstration of the faces of Columbia County’s Latino community that have been under attack for the last eighteen months by ballot measures 5-190 and 5-191.
WHEN: Wednesday, February 18, 2009. 4pm – 6pm
WHERE: In St. Helens, Oregon. Starting at the St. Frederic Catholic Church at 175 S 13th, and ending at the County Courthouse.
WHO: New community organization Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor (LUFM), in collaboration with Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity (CCCHD), and with support from Rural Organizing Project, and CAUSA: Oregon’s Immigrants Rights Coalition
Download Flyers in English and Spanish and help spread the word!
Read MoreWelcome, Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor!
Dear Ropnet, The last several months in Columbia County have shown that amazing opportunities often come well-disguised. After working tirelessly to defeat the county-wide anti-immigrant ballot measure 5-190 with a community campaign that brought together allies across the state, and then losing, things looked pretty grim. But what seemed like the end was really […]
Read MoreThe Latino Community Organizes in Columbia County
A warm welcome to ROP’s newest member group: Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor.
The Latino Community in Columbia County is organizing to push back against ballot measure 5-190, which seeks to fine employers $10,000 for hiring undocumented workers. A new group was born on January 29th called Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor (Latinos United for a Better Future). The group has already begun to plan action and outreach to the public to bring attention their stories and their rights as human beings living in the community.
LUFM leadership met this weekend with longstanding human dignity group Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity to begin a relationship of mutual support towards the shared goal of respect for the human dignity of EVERY member of the community
Read MoreJudge Prohibits Anti-immigrant Measure from Taking Effect
ST. HELENS, Ore. – Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Ted E. Grove today issued a preliminary injunction that will prevent an anti-immigrant ballot measure from taking effect on February 2.
Read MoreFeb 2009 KTA: Innovation Evolving from Crisis
“Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.” Elizabeth Alexander, 2009 Inaugural Poet. Kitchen Table Activism February 2009 This month we want to gather round the kitchen table (so to speak) and identify the most pressing needs of our neighbors […]
Read MoreCountdown to Peace at the ROP Caucus
While Obama seems committed to drawing down troops in Iraq – a victory that we should rightfully claim – there is still no hard and fast timeline for withdrawal, and plans to escalate the conflict in Afghanistan are advancing quickly.
Now, as much as ever, we must persevere and keep the pressure on for peace. We must act together – yes, in large numbers, but also with big heart – so as to keep hope in community and build power in our collective strength. ROP’s Annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session, on March 15th & 16th in Salem is a time for just that.
Read MoreUrgent! E-Verify Requirement to be added to Stimulus
That time of the year has come – the legislative session is now in full swing and many crucial immigrants rights issues will come up.
Here’s one for today. This urgent request is being circulated in progressive circles throughout the nation. Please take a moment to read about how our representatives would like to add E-Verify stipulations to the stimulus package now under consideration. As an organization that holds up the rights of all people, we ask you, our ROP Immigration Fairness Network members, to step up and take action against this stipulation, which would unfairly target immigrant communities.
Read MoreTrade and Immigration come Home to Rural Oregon
This week, author and photojournalist David Bacon began his tour of the Northwest with a stop at the Congregational Church of Lincoln City. With roots in the labor movement, Bacon has been documenting the changing conditions in the workforce, the impact of the global economy, war and migration, and the struggle for human rights.
Keep reading to learn more about this event, see a calendar of upcoming David Bacon events, and about how to take action to support a more equitable global economy with the TRADE Act.
Read MoreMaking History!
Happy Inauguration Day 2009! This is a day we have been waiting for for a long, long time. This is also a day that many of us never thought we would get the chance to see. My heart cannot contain what it means for this country and for the world that have an African American […]
Read MoreThe Real Oregon
In The Real Oregon, a four-minute video about Umatilla-Morrow Alternatives, ROP board member Frank Roa describes why he founded this Eastern Oregon group that develops leaders and works to end discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, or HIV status.
Read MoreA Night that Counts
The last week of January is the annual One Night Homelessness Count, when Community Action Agencies (CAA) count the number of homeless people in each county. I’m afraid of what we might find. But discovering the real dimensions of what we are facing provides us with the necessary documentation and the critical awareness to move to crucial and creative solutions. Solutions that dig down to the roots of our families’ and communities’ economic insecurity and plant a new, more principled (and perhaps more homegrown) way to use and distribute our communities’ economic, social and environmental resources.
The count is a huge job that can require many volunteers. Members of at least three ROP member groups, Yamhill Valley Peacemakers, Human Dignity Advocates in Crook County, and the West County Council for Human Dignity in Washington County, are already planning to help out. Can you offer the services of your human dignity group (or maybe just yourself and a couple of friends) to assist in this counting process?
Read MoreLegislative Call for Action: Keep the Guard in OR!
January 12th marks the start of the 2009 Legislative Session. Throughout the session we will send ROPnets focused on legislative action that is part of the ROP platform endorsed by our member groups.
The first legislative call for action in 2009 is to make sure that your county is on record in support of keeping the Oregon National Guard in Oregon.
ROP and many other peace groups are members of the Campaign to Keep the Oregon National Guard Home. We have been collecting petition signatures for months now and are scheduled to deliver them to the Capitol on Wednesday, January 21st. A resolution to keep the Guard in Oregon will be introduced early in the Legislative session. But we need the Governor and our State Senators and Representatives to know that it is not just Portland and Eugene and Corvallis who want the Guard to stay home. It is Wallowa and Pendleton and Burns and Klamath Falls.
Stories from the Field
Check back regularly for stories from Human Dignity Groups across the state!
ROP member groups are making great strides toward justice in the far corners of the state. Here are some of their stories, campaigns and successes.
- Clatsop County Marriage Equality Project talks with HIPFish Monthly Magazine about the fight for same sex marriage in in Clatsop
- Clackamas County human dignity leaders fight back against the so-called "Secure Communities" program
- Member Group Good Grief America leads up Foreclosure Defense workshops
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights Awards around Oregon
- Popular Education workshop across cultures with Coastal Progressives and Centro de Ayuda
Letter from a Marine Mom
ROP board member, Mary Geddry, created this video representation of her "open letter" to an Iraqi child, explaining how the actions of her son in a firefight have connected them to each other. Her son and her family will be forever changed by his experiences in Iraq
.
Read MoreBuilding Grassroots Capacity for Social Change
ROP’s mission is to build the capacity of our member groups. What do we mean by capacity? Ultimately, it is the power to make change. That power comes from being able to mobilize people to act on behalf of the democratic values we care about. The more people willing to stand up for those values, the more powerful we will be. This is why our primary focus is on groups, rather than individuals. While individual activists can make a difference, organized groups are able to mobilize in greater numbers.
What capacity-building services does ROP offer?
ROP works with individuals wishing to organize in their own communities around the issues ROP cares about. We can provide phone support, assistance with outreach, agenda planning and facilitation of initial meetings. Priority for staff time goes to groups working on urgent social justice issues in communities where we do not currently have member groups. If ROP is not able to provide on-site staff support, we can always offer phone and e-mail support, answer questions and help strategize. Types of questions ROP can help with:
- How do I start a group? What do I need to think about?
- Do we need to become a non-profit?
- Should we hire staff?
Tools ROP offers: Leadership team development, sample by-laws and mission statements, examples of similar models.
1. Capacity Assessments
Is your group as strong as you’d like it to be? Are you setting bold goals and reaching them? Do you have a plan? ROP can help your group assess what is going well and prioritize things to work on to make your group stronger. Tools: capacity assessment, followed by organizational retreat and work plan development.
2. Building a Strong Leadership Team
Organizations with a defined team of leaders are more likely to survive and be effective. Staff can work with your group on how to build your leadership team. We’ll meet with current leaders or members to make a plan for recruiting people to be part of your group’s leadership team. We can help you identify roles for leadership team members, create a process for orienting new leaders and assist with planning sessions.
3. Developing a Strategy and Action Plan
ROP offers two types of strategy sessions: For issue-based strategy sessions, ROP staff facilitates a 1.5 – 2 hour conversation with your group to analyze a particular issue and make a specific action plan for your group on how to work on that issue. In organizational action planning strategy sessions, ROP meets with your group to identify organizational priorities and develop an 18-month action plan.
ROP offers two types of strategy sessions: For issue-based strategy sessions, ROP staff facilitates a 1.5 – 2 hour conversation with your group to analyze a particular issue and make a specific action plan for your group on how to work on that issue. In organizational action planning strategy sessions, ROP meets with your group to identify organizational priorities and develop an 18-month action plan.
4. Communication Systems
Is your group doing great work that no one ever hears about? ROP can help your group develop systems for keeping track of supporters and staying in touch. Tools: template for organizational database for use with Access software; sample guidelines for listserves; tips for effective e-mail communication; staff support in setting up a step-by-step communication plan.
Is your group doing great work that no one ever hears about? ROP can help your group develop systems for keeping track of supporters and staying in touch. Tools: template for organizational database for use with Access software; sample guidelines for listserves; tips for effective e-mail communication; staff support in setting up a step-by-step communication plan.
5. Base-building and Outreach
If your group isn’t growing, it’s shrinking.
If your group isn’t growing, it’s shrinking.
6. Diversity, Solidarity and Being Allies
Is your group committed to diversity, but struggling over how to achieve it? ROP can help think through your groups’ goals, from overcoming oppressive dynamics to becoming effective allies against racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression.
Is your group committed to diversity, but struggling over how to achieve it? ROP can help think through your groups’ goals, from overcoming oppressive dynamics to becoming effective allies against racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression.
7. Retreat Planning and Facilitation
If your group is planning a retreat, ROP can help you create an agenda and facilitate it. Typically, this may look like an extended strategy session.
If your group is planning a retreat, ROP can help you create an agenda and facilitate it. Typically, this may look like an extended strategy session.
8. Organizational Issues
ROP can help your group be more effective in its work by offering support in areas such as:
- By-laws, structure
- Effective meetings
- Fundraising
- Decision-making process
- Burnout
-
Taking action
9. Individual Leadership Development
Interested in becoming more effective as a leader? Wanting to encourage the talents of a new member of your group? ROP’s annual Caucus and Strategy Session is a great way to learn new skills, analyze current issues and connect with other activists. Also, leaders of ROP member groups get priority for scholarships to attend Western States Center’s annual Community Strategic Training Initiative. (One of the best training’s for grassroots activism in the country.) Ask us about where to get campaign training, or other training you may need to do your organizing. In addition, ROP staff is available to provide problem-solving and moral support to individual leaders of ROP member groups by phone or e-mail.
1. Types of questions ROP can help with:
- What kind of political organizing can our group do without jeopardizing our non-profit status?
- Can we endorse or oppose a ballot initiative as a non-profit?
- What are simple activities we can do with such a small group that still make a difference?
- What are some effective ways of getting our message out?
2. Kitchen Table Activism
Each month, ROP suggests a strategic and timely activity designed to provide a simple way for your group to engage in social change organizing or strengthen your group. These activities are posted on our ROPnet listserve and on the Kitchen Table Activism page of our website.
3. Tips for Activism
ROP can provide detailed information and support on the following:
-
Having a house meeting
- Meeting with legislators
- Organizing for a Town Hall
- Writing elected officials
- Letters to the editor
- Interviewing candidates
- Tabling
- Designing a brochure
- Writing a press release
- Getting your story to the media
- Planning an event
- Pizza and postcards: simple actions
- Responding to hate activities or hate crimes
- Diversity in the schools
-
What makes a good e-mail message?
ROP Goals and Objectives 2008-2013
- Expand rural grassroots progressive power through our human dignity groups.
- Support human dignity groups in expanding their capacity to effect social change.
- Break rural isolation in all of Oregon’s 36 counties.
- Use multi-issue organizing to promote race, class, and gender justice and to create policy outcomes in our communities.
- Assure that ROP is sustainable in both leadership and funding.
1. Expand rural grassroots progressive power through our human dignity groups. Power is the simple act of being able to get what you want. It’s neutral. Now what you want to do with power is not neutral. For ROP, we want power to enfranchise people. We think the best way to do that is to create local human dignity groups in every small town community that are easy to find, function as movement centers to a variety of timely causes and are seeking to grow local power that is then connected in cross county lines.
- Map and analyze the distribution of power in no less than six communities each year; resulting in campaign work plans with each of these group’s leadership team
- Evaluate each component of ROP for intentional efforts to build power.
- Discuss how power (and solidarity, discipline) are core to enacting progressive policy outcomes at all ROP gatherings like the Caucus and board retreat, and weave these concepts into ROP’s vision, current program work and communication systems: ropnets, web site, KTAs and STAND newsletter.
2. Support human dignity groups in expanding their capacity to effect social change. Time poverty and stressed communities means that many organizations find just a few people attempting to do too much. Without capacity, the systems to reduce repetitive work, the people trained and motivated to meet the group mission, the group does less and frustration grows.
- Assess local human dignity groups and ROP programs to ensure ROP resources are focused on member groups with an articulated and agreed-upon plan for capacity building; work with local groups to develop the three structural basics of leadership team, communication systems and organizing action plans.
- Ensure ROP staff works closely with 3-10 specific human dignity groups for defined cycles of time to assist the groups in meeting benchmarks for local capacity growth.
- Ensure at least one anchor group exists in each region.
3. Break rural isolation in all 36 counties. Isolation limits development of beloved community as fewer people volunteer, see the benefits of civic participation or even know how to get involved. Technology can reduce isolation especially when coupled with genuine efforts to build ongoing relationships. Such civic outreach is nothing new to human dignity groups but creating a process to pair systems with people so that we can track our outreach, is new, exciting and cumbersome. The objectives make manageable steps towards a new era of community building with an old concept of welcome wagons.
- Broaden the “Welcome Wagon” approach of human dignity groups to recruit an annually agreed number of new contacts into ongoing relationship with local group and ROP. Set, track and assess cumulative goals for repeat outreach.
- Track relationship building as an organizing tool (sit-down coffees and living-room conversations) through data base recording and reporting.
- Create plans with targeted groups to resolve barriers to movement growth, including quality communication style, skill-building on distribution, training, and one-on-one mentoring and support.
- Enhance the ability of technology to capture new and existing relationships by annually reviewing the ROP database to measure growth and make refinements.
- Use the ROP office as a hub for supporting local database development and maintaining back-up databases for local groups. Develop a statement of principles on database use, purpose and process.
- Explore use of new database technology, such as the Center for Commnity Change voter file database, to find new contacts to approach for on-going relationships that expand the political education circle of human dignity groups and ROP.
4. Use multi-issue organizing to promote race, class, and gender justice and to create policy outcomes in our communities. Policies inscribe societal commitments, how we will behave, what we can expect, what we value. Ultimately, progressive social change is institutionalized politically and culturally in the policies adopted. ROP pledges to work towards policy outcomes that use a race, class, gender justice lens to entrench democracy for all. And to prioritize the political education need for ourselves to be vigilant of dominant culture.
- Analyze and describe how ROP is unique in make-up, values and focus and our associated strategic advantages in organizing for human dignity, peace and justice so that it shapes how we proceed in ranking campaigns and issues; i.e., what do we bring to each issue that is uniquely valuable?
- Record and communicate the story of how and why ROP makes the links between issues of human dignity, peace, and social, economic, gender, and racial justice.
- Develop tools and a shared language for the ROP story to be used by all human dignity groups and insure that one anchor group per region is adept at telling the story.
- Help human dignity groups create their own stories that focus on local history, issues and attitudes; and speak meaningfully to the local community.
- Create and implement a framework, incorporating our core values and unique attributes, that ROP and local human dignity groups will use to evaluate and determine which campaigns or issues to work on and to design our programs.
5. Assure that ROP’s organizational health is sustainable in both leadership and funding. Creating the world we envision will require time, the patience to measure progress in decades and the commitment to imagine the organization and systems we need to keep warriors for justice active – in short, it requires seeing a plan for our own health as important as the health for the world community. ROP commits to focusing on growing our own resources so that rural Oregonians can know that an organization by and for them will be around over the long haul.
- Create an annual plan for economic sustainability that explores new foundations, incorporates fees for service, explores creative revenue options, and expands our grassroots donor base; track successes in each category through year-end; ensure annual Board review of revenue sources compared to prior years.
- Engage leadership and human dignity groups in grassroots fundraising for the ROP.
- Create a plan to better integrate among fundraising into staff workplans and program work. Promote staff members and our expanding leadership circle to meet annual, individual goals.
- Design and implement ROP’s programs to offer a range of approaches to develop leadership mastery of ROP’s organizing principles and practices; evaluate the programs and results at each annual Caucus.
- Recruit and develop 3 -5 new leaders in each District or region per year; support their growth to lead effective human dignity groups and ROP.
ROP Goals and Objectives 2008-2013
Rural Organizing Project Goals and Objectives 2008-2013
Expand rural grassroots progressive power through our human dignity groups. Power is the simple act of being able to get what you want. It’s neutral. Now what you want to do with power is not neutral. For ROP, we want power to enfranchise people. We think the best way to do that is to create local human dignity groups in every small town community that are easy to find, function as movement centers to a variety of timely causes and are seeking to grow local power that is then connected in cross county lines.
- Map and analyze the distribution of power in no less than six communities each year; resulting in campaign work plans with each of these group’s leadership team
- Evaluate each component of ROP for intentional efforts to build power.
- Discuss how power (and solidarity, discipline) are core to enacting progressive policy outcomes at all ROP gatherings like the Caucus and board retreat, and weave these concepts into ROP’s vision, current program work and communication systems: ropnets, web site, KTAs and STAND newsletter.
Support human dignity groups in expanding their capacity to effect social change. Time poverty and stressed communities means that many organizations find just a few people attempting to do too much. Without capacity, the systems to reduce repetitive work, the people trained and motivated to meet the group mission, the group does less and frustration grows.
- Assess local human dignity groups and ROP programs to ensure ROP resources are focused on member groups with an articulated and agreed-upon plan for capacity building; work with local groups to develop the three structural basics of leadership team, communication systems and organizing action plans.
- Ensure ROP staff works closely with 3-10 specific human dignity groups for defined cycles of time to assist the groups in meeting benchmarks for local capacity growth.
- Ensure at least one anchor group exists in each region.
Break rural isolation in all 36 counties. Isolation limits development of beloved community as fewer people volunteer, see the benefits of civic participation or even know how to get involved. Technology can reduce isolation especially when coupled with genuine efforts to build ongoing relationships. Such civic outreach is nothing new to human dignity groups but creating a process to pair systems with people so that we can track our outreach, is new, exciting and cumbersome. The objectives make manageable steps towards a new era of community building with an old concept of welcome wagons.
- Broaden the “Welcome Wagon” approach of human dignity groups to recruit an annually agreed number of new contacts into ongoing relationship with local group and ROP. Set, track and assess cumulative goals for repeat outreach.
- Track relationship building as an organizing tool (sit-down coffees and living-room conversations) through data base recording and reporting.
- Create plans with targeted groups to resolve barriers to movement growth, including quality communication style, skill-building on distribution, training, and one-on-one mentoring and support.
- Enhance the ability of technology to capture new and existing relationships by annually reviewing the ROP database to measure growth and make refinements.
- Use the ROP office as a hub for supporting local database development and maintaining back-up databases for local groups. Develop a statement of principles on database use, purpose and process.
- Explore use of new database technology, such as the Center for Commnity Change voter file database, to find new contacts to approach for on-going relationships that expand the political education circle of human dignity groups and ROP.
Use multi-issue organizing to promote race, class, gender justice to create policy outcomes in our communities. Policies inscribe societal commitments, how we will behave, what we can expect, what we value. Ultimately, progressive social change is institutionalized politically and culturally in the policies adopted. ROP pledges to work towards policy outcomes that use a race, class, gender justice lens to entrench democracy for all. And to prioritize the political education need for ourselves to be vigilant of dominant culture.
- Analyze and describe how ROP is unique in make-up, values and focus and our associated strategic advantages in organizing for human dignity, peace and justice so that it shapes how we proceed in ranking campaigns and issues; i.e., what do we bring to each issue that is uniquely valuable?
- Record and communicate the story of how and why ROP makes the links between issues of human dignity, peace, and social, economic, gender, and racial justice.
- Develop tools and a shared language for the ROP story to be used by all human dignity groups and insure that one anchor group per region is adept at telling the story.
- Help human dignity groups create their own stories that focus on local history, issues and attitudes; and speak meaningfully to the local community.
- Create and implement a framework, incorporating our core values and unique attributes, that ROP and local human dignity groups will use to evaluate and determine which campaigns or issues to work on and to design our programs.
Assure that ROP’s organizational health is sustainable in both leadership and funding. Creating the world we envision will require time, the patience to measure progress in decades and the commitment to imagine the organization and systems we need to keep warriors for justice active – in short, it requires seeing a plan for our own health as important as the health for the world community. ROP commits to focusing on growing our own resources so that rural Oregonians can know that an organization by and for them will be around over the long haul.
- Create an annual plan for economic sustainability that explores new foundations, incorporates fees for service, explores creative revenue options, and expands our grassroots donor base; track successes in each category through year-end; ensure annual Board review of revenue sources compared to prior years.
- Engage leadership and human dignity groups in grassroots fundraising for the ROP.
- Create a plan to better integrate among fundraising into staff workplans and program work. Promote staff members and our expanding leadership circle to meet annual, individual goals.
- Design and implement ROP’s programs to offer a range of approaches to develop leadership mastery of ROP’s organizing principles and practices; evaluate the programs and results at each annual Caucus.
- Recruit and develop 3 -5 new leaders in each District or region per year; support their growth to lead effective human dignity groups and ROP.
Read More
Jan 2009 KTA: Resolve to Make Change in 09
Endorse ROP’s Legislative Platform The ROP Legislative Platform represents the priorities of our member groups, the needs that our communities face, and the strategic opportunities for our human dignity movement. Since we shared our draft platform with you last month, many of you have written to share what you want to see on this platform. […]
Read MoreWhat do we want?!
We are for justice. We are against the war. We are in favor of human rights. We are opposed to corruption and brutality.
Progressives often talk about our missions in very broad terms, not surprising considering our 30-second spot culture. However, in these first months of 2009 and especially in these first days of January we have the opportunity to describe specifically what it is we want and when it is we want it. (JUSTICE! … NOW! Just kidding.)
There are many things that ROP will demand of our new national and state leadership. One thing is Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The National Council of La Raza and the National Immigration Fourm are circulating a sign-on letter for organizations that reminds our elected officials that we want a speedy and just resolution to the immigration mess. Add your organization to this national sign-on letter to push for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
Read MoreCampaign to Keep National Guard in Oregon
Back in June of 2003, ROP coordinated a weeklong Walk for Truth, Justice and Community that involved thousands of Oregonians. Walkers and their supporters were outraged by current policies entrenching not just wars abroad but also wars at home. We marched from our starting point in Salem to take over the Governor’s office with veterans and military families at the front of the room. We were there to demand that the Governor show some backbone regarding the role of the Oregon National Guard and other Oregon resources being deployed in the war/occupation. Later that week, he delivered his strongest statement yet in opposition to the war in Iraq. The war has spiraled into an occupation with no sign of an end. Let’s turn up the heat in Oregon to prevent further deployments.
Oregon peace and justice groups in June of 2008 join with similar groups across the nation for parallel state efforts to reduce the flow of resources to the wars/occupations. Let’s gather signatures that show just how fed up Oregonians are with the so called war on terror. And then let’s plan a time to reconvene (with or with out a formal invitation) back in the Governor’s office in Salem.
Here’s what it says on the petition:
To the elected officials in the state of Oregon: We, the undersigned, urge you to take the steps necessary to prevent the further deployment of Oregon’s National Guard to Iraq and Afghanistan.
- The Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq (2002) is based on Iraq having weapons of mass destruction, harboring Al Qaida members responsible for 9/11, and enforcing UN resolutions against Saddam Hussein’s regime, reasons which were never or are no longer valid.
- The Authorization for Use of Military Force of September 2001, which launched the "War on Terror," is overly broad and has allowed the US to occupy Afghanistan and conduct airstrikes on other countries while chipping away Americans’ human, civil and constitutional rights.
- Oregonians have shown a desire to bring the troops home: 61 elected officials from 27 counties signed a letter to President Bush in September, 2007; the Oregon State House and Senate passed resolutions in March and May, 2007; the cities of Corvallis, Portland and Eugene passed similar resolutions in 2006 and 2007; thousands of Oregonians have written letters, postcards and emails, made phone calls, marched and protested.
- Governor Ted Kulongoski told the Oregonian in October, 2006 that he believes the continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq "is making things worse" and that the U.S. should set a strict timetable for getting out.
- Legislation to de-federalize the Guard due to the expiration of the Iraq AUMF has been introduced in Vermont, New Jersey, and several other states.
- Oregon needs its National Guard to respond to forest fires and natural disasters and for search and rescue missions.
Download a copy of the petition to ciruclate in your community.
Read MoreOh, the Weather Outside is Frightful!
What a week it has been! At the ROP office our highlights of the week include our pipes freezing and towing the ROP car from the ditch. (Feel free to let that inspire you to get your much needed donation in the mail to us or at www.rop.org!)
Despite these challenges, we have been delighting at the winter wonderland outside of our windows. But for many people in our communities, when you really have no place to go, it’s more of a nightmare than wonderland out there. In Forest Grove, several area churches and community groups, including volunteers from ROP member group West County Council for Human Dignity have created their own Miracle on College Way…
Read MoreThank You, Dear ROPers!
Read ROP’s 2008 Letter to Members and our 2008 Annual Report. December 2008 Dear Friends and Supporters, The year 2008 has been full of hope, excitement, and change. But as our new president said on November 4th, “This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to […]
Read MoreDec 2008 KTA: Meet and Greet for a New Progressive Politics
Introducing your Elected Officials to your Human Dignity Group
After every election cycle, ROP encourages local groups to sit down with their newly (re)elected officials, orient them to your group, and initiate/deepen a relationship. Even if your group knows your state legislators already, a formal meeting establishes a working relationship for policy decisions. These gatherings can be as simple as one or two human dignity group leaders having coffee for 30 minutes with your newly elected official or setting aside time to meet with him/her during your group’s regular December or January meeting. The goal is to get on the radar of your elected officials and to build a relationship that lasts through the legislative session.
Read MoreChallenging Measure 5-190
ST. HELENS, Ore. – A coalition of social justice groups and business owners is formally challenging Measure 5-190, an anti-immigrant law recently passed by voters in Columbia County. The ACLU of Oregon and Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, on behalf of the coalition, filed the complaint today in Columbia County Circuit Court…
From Start to Finish
Rural Group Supports Voters from Start to Finish on Election Day
Building Relationships Translates into Voter Turnout
Scappoose, Oregon – In a year where much has been said about the value of community organizing and small towns, rural Oregon has a story of its own to tell about both…
Read More
Nov 2008 KTA: Breathe & Debrief: Life after the election
This month’s Kitchen Table Activism is to relax, talk to one-another, celebrate, and think about this past year and what the future holds by hosting a post-election debrief. The focus could be a small gathering for your core leaders, a party with the whole Human Dignity Group, or a special gathering to welcome those new faces you met this year into your group. Whether you were on the campaign trail 24/7, organized a ballot forum, or spent the last few months doing issue work – we all deserve some space to take notice of how things have changed since January.
Read MoreJoin ROPnet!
ROPNET is the official listserve of the Rural Organizing Project. It is a secure list to the extent that all names added are involved with the work of the ROP. Our email listserve was one of the first to use email to organize when it was launched in the early 1990s. ROPNET is intended first and foremost to break the isolation that rural human rights activists can experience.
By signing up for ROPNET you’ll get timely updates and action items for progressive issues relevant to rural Oregon communities. We generally send two to three e-mails per week and promise not to share your e-mail or personal information.
Read MoreElections
Get the full report on ROP’s role in November 2008’s rural vote.
Rural Group Supports Voters from Start to Finish on Election Day
Building Relationships Translates into Voter Turnout
Scappoose, Oregon – In a year where much has been said about the value of community organizing and small towns, rural Oregon has a story of its own to tell about both.
Rural Organizing Project started their organizing for Election Day nearly a year ago. As one of Oregon’s only grassroots organizations that engage in non-partisan voter engagement strictly in small town and rural communities, ROP began educating and mobilizing volunteers in January through their network of 62 local human dignity groups.
An initial statewide gathering of 112 rural community leaders in Hood River in April 2008 grew to a voter mobilization effort that has included more than 412 volunteers in all 36 of Oregon’s counties. These ROP volunteers have knocked on 35,110 doors, made 6365 phone calls, held 33 ballot measure forums reaching 871 people, and distributed 65,000 voters guides by and for small town voters.
According to Ann Kneeland, a local leader with ROP member group Seeking Out Democracy in Junction City, “We’ve been around as a group for 4 years now, but it’s really in the last year that we’ve made the most gains in terms of contacts with the community.”
Like Seeking Out Democracy, another ROP member group Human Dignity Advocates in Prineville began contacting the community in May using a door-to-door survey that asked neighbor to weigh in on contentious issues of the day. This listening to neighbors approach allowed the local group to learn about the concerns in their town while also taking the first step in a relationship that carries on through Election Day. Over 400 neighbors were surveyed, sent a personal thank you note, and then invited to a community ballot measure discussion in mid-October. The group’s final contact was hand delivering voters guides with a personal greeting from their local group to 1000 households representing over 10% of the population of Prineville.
"I was really expecting a lot of door slamming," said Kathy Paterno, Human Dignity Advocates leadership team member and ROP Board member, "But there wasn’t a lot of animosity at all. The intention was to have conversations with the community – to give them a chance to talk about the issues. There were people from the far left to the far right. They seemed happy to give their opinion. This election was different than others because there were a lot of people disgruntled with the way things are. We felt people were paying greater attention."
This attention from local community volunteers and persistence from the Rural Organizing Project is paying off. While voter turnout rates will not be completely known until after Election Day, as of Tuesday morning, 85% of ROP contacts had returned their ballots. This compares with a statewide voter return rate of 55% on November 2nd according to the latest figures from the Secretary of State.
Rural Organizing Project is Oregon’s grassroots organization that is moving democracy forward in rural Oregon. For more information, go to www.rop.org.
ROP’s 2008 STAND Voter Guide
In the 2008 Elections, Oregon’s Ballot saw more than 10 measures. Many of these initiatives would have taken us a step further away from real democracy. True democracy and freedom requires an educated population whose basic needs are cared for, not an incarcerated one, protection of workers rights through strong unions and respect for the civil rights of all. Our government of, by, and for the people demands the resources to realize this vision of democracy, not tax loopholes and restrictions that hamstring government from doing its job.
ROP’s STAND Voter Guide was a key tool used by rural Oregonians around the state to educate their neighbors on these ballot measures and expand democracy in the process.
Download ROP’s STAND Voter Guide in English and Spanish.
Mobilizing our communities for Freedom and Democracy on November 4th and beyond!
Join ROP’s Freedom Voters Campaign Visit www.FreedomVoters.com
Download these materials and begin engaging your community members today:
Freedom Voters Guide
Freedom Survey
Freedom Pledge Cards
Freedom Petition
Study Circles for Freedom & Democracy: ROP member groups kicked off the 2008 Election Year with study circles to ground us in the challenges and opportunities in 2008. Check out Naomi Wolf’s Letter to a Young Patriot. Start a study group in your community or share your reflections with the ROP.
Advancing a Progressive Agenda for Rural Oregon
ROP is working to build a multi-issue, broad-based network of folks advancing democracy and justice across Rural Oregon.
Read MoreMake Your STAND Guides Stand Out!
ROP’s STAND Voter Guide will help your neighbors sort through all the confusing measures we will face on the ballot this fall. But how can we make sure that voters don’t just toss these into the junk mail pile with the mass of other campaign literature that is filling all our mailboxes these fall? Read on for tips on how to make your STAND guides stand out.
Read MoreCo$t of War campaigns & on going work
ROP member groups have a long history of peace and anti-militarism organizing.
During WWII, African American soldiers would wave a Double V for victory abroad over the Nazis and victory at home over racism. Similarly today, while we are working to stop the war in Iraq, there is a domestic front to that war being waged here at home on the poorest and most vulnerable members of our community. All of this in the name of "security."
Here are some of our current, on-going, and past campaigns to create peace abroad and peace in our own communities at home.
- No Soy El Army Justice Tour (2010)
- Oregon statewide strategy session on peace (2010)
- Campaign to Keep the National Guard in Oregon (2009)
- Dismantling the wars at home and abroad (2001-2007)
***
President Obama once said “It’s not enough to get out of Iraq; we have to get out of the mindset that led us into Iraq.” Zinn asks us to identify that mindset – he suggests that it is imperialism, violence and the unrestricted free market that got us into our current mess – war and the economy. “We want a country that uses its resources, its wealth, and its power to help people, not to hurt them. That’s what we need,” Howard Zinn, (Changing Obama’s Mindset, May 2009 The Progressive)
Read MoreOct 2008 KTA: Get Out the Vote
This month’s Kitchen Table Activism is to make your local group’s plan to Get Out The Vote (GOTV). Over 20 communities already have ballot measure forums scheduled with ROP – that is amazing! These forums are great ways to get in depth information to a smaller group of people that we hope will stay involved with our groups after election day, but we also need plans to reach large number of people with the compelling and concise information that is in the ROP STAND Voter Guide.
Read MoreORGANIZE to End the War!
Sometimes it can seem like the threats to our democracy are too steep to overcome, but the only way to strengthen what we have is to exercise our voice, and organize. Yes, democracy is about voting, but it’s also about holding our elected representatives accountable to our beliefs and priorities year round. One of those issues that our representatives have NOT taken action on is the Unending War in Iraq.
Read MoreSep 2008 KTA: Planning For Power! 2008 Ballot Measure Forums
This month’s Kitchen Table Activism is to make a plan. A plan? Isn’t “activism” about doing, not planning?! Yes, but thoughtful planning can make our activism all the more effective. And being intentional in organizing your community’s 2008 Ballot Measure Forum will ensure that your local human dignity group has a real impact on Election Day and beyond!
Read MoreDemocracy in Action!
Watch former ROP staff member, Cara Shufelt, survey a neighbor using the Freedom Voters Survey and Pledge!
Visit the Freedom Voter Website to learn more about ROP’s Freedom Voters’ Campaign.
Read MoreRural Organizing Project Goals and Objectives 2008-2013
- Expand rural grassroots progressive power through our human dignity groups. Expand rural grassroots progressive power through our human dignity groups. Power is the simple act of being able to get what you want. It’s neutral. Now what you want to do with power is not neutral. For ROP, we want power to enfranchise people. We think the best way to do that is to create local human dignity groups in every small town community that are easy to find, function as movement centers to a variety of timely causes and are seeking to grow local power that is then connected in cross county lines.
- Map and analyze the distribution of power in no less than six communities each year; resulting in campaign work plans with each of these group’s leadership team
- Evaluate each component of ROP for intentional efforts to build power.
- Discuss how power (and solidarity, discipline) are core to enacting progressive policy outcomes at all ROP gatherings like the Caucus and board retreat, and weave these concepts into ROP’s vision, current program work and communication systems: ropnets, web site, KTAs and STAND newsletter.
- Support human dignity groups in expanding their capacity to effect social change. Time poverty and stressed communities means that many organizations find just a few people attempting to do too much. Without capacity, the systems to reduce repetitive work, the people trained and motivated to meet the group mission, the group does less and frustration grows.
- Assess local human dignity groups and ROP programs to ensure ROP resources are focused on member groups with an articulated and agreed-upon plan for capacity building; work with local groups to develop the three structural basics of leadership team, communication systems and organizing action plans.
- Ensure ROP staff works closely with 3-10 specific human dignity groups for defined cycles of time to assist the groups in meeting benchmarks for local capacity growth.
- Ensure at least one anchor group exists in each region.
- Break rural isolation in all 36 counties. Isolation limits development of beloved community as fewer people volunteer, see the benefits of civic participation or even know how to get involved. Technology can reduce isolation especially when coupled with genuine efforts to build ongoing relationships. Such civic outreach is nothing new to human dignity groups but creating a process to pair systems with people so that we can track our outreach, is new, exciting and cumbersome. The objectives make manageable steps towards a new era of community building with an old concept of welcome wagons.
- Broaden the “Welcome Wagon” approach of human dignity groups to recruit an annually agreed number of new contacts into ongoing relationship with local group and ROP. Set, track and assess cumulative goals for repeat outreach.
- Track relationship building as an organizing tool (sit-down coffees and living-room conversations) through data base recording and reporting.
- Create plans with targeted groups to resolve barriers to movement growth, including quality communication style, skill-building on distribution, training, and one-on-one mentoring and support.
- Enhance the ability of technology to capture new and existing relationships by annually reviewing the ROP database to measure growth and make refinements.
- Use the ROP office as a hub for supporting local database development and maintaining back-up databases for local groups. Develop a statement of principles on database use, purpose and process.
- Explore use of new database technology, such as the Center for Commnity Change voter file database, to find new contacts to approach for on-going relationships that expand the political education circle of human dignity groups and ROP.
- Use multi-issue organizing to promote race, class, gender justice to create policy outcomes in our communities. Policies inscribe societal commitments, how we will behave, what we can expect, what we value. Ultimately, progressive social change is institutionalized politically and culturally in the policies adopted. ROP pledges to work towards policy outcomes that use a race, class, gender justice lens to entrench democracy for all. And to prioritize the political education need for ourselves to be vigilant of dominant culture.
- Analyze and describe how ROP is unique in make-up, values and focus and our associated strategic advantages in organizing for human dignity, peace and justice so that it shapes how we proceed in ranking campaigns and issues; i.e., what do we bring to each issue that is uniquely valuable?
- Record and communicate the story of how and why ROP makes the links between issues of human dignity, peace, and social, economic, gender, and racial justice.
- Develop tools and a shared language for the ROP story to be used by all human dignity groups and insure that one anchor group per region is adept at telling the story.
- Help human dignity groups create their own stories that focus on local history, issues and attitudes; and speak meaningfully to the local community.
- Create and implement a framework, incorporating our core values and unique attributes, that ROP and local human dignity groups will use to evaluate and determine which campaigns or issues to work on and to design our programs.
- Assure that ROP’s organizational health is sustainable in both leadership and funding. Assure that ROP’s organizational health is sustainable in both leadership and funding. Creating the world we envision will require time, the patience to measure progress in decades and the commitment to imagine the organization and systems we need to keep warriors for justice active – in short, it requires seeing a plan for our own health as important as the health for the world community. ROP commits to focusing on growing our own resources so that rural Oregonians can know that an organization by and for them will be around over the long haul.
- Create an annual plan for economic sustainability that explores new foundations, incorporates fees for service, explores creative revenue options, and expands our grassroots donor base; track successes in each category through year-end; ensure annual Board review of revenue sources compared to prior years.
- Engage leadership and human dignity groups in grassroots fundraising for the ROP.
- Create a plan to better integrate among fundraising into staff workplans and program work. Promote staff members and our expanding leadership circle to meet annual, individual goals.
- Design and implement ROP’s programs to offer a range of approaches to develop leadership mastery of ROP’s organizing principles and practices; evaluate the programs and results at each annual Caucus.
- Recruit and develop 3 -5 new leaders in each District or region per year; support their growth to lead effective human dignity groups and ROP.
Aug 2008 KTA: Making Our STAND: Order ROP Voter Guides by August 15th.
This month’s Kitchen Table Activism is to make your order for ROP’s Voter Guide, STAND: Small Town Actions for New Democracy. Our voter guide – designed by and for small town and rural voters – is renowned for breaking down confusing ballot initiatives and making tough issues accessible all within a pro-democracy, common sense framework that appeals to a broad spectrum of the community.
Read MoreHost a Movie Night
Bringing together a group of people in your community to view a film on immigration is a great way to start a discussion on a very timely topic. Most of the films listed below can be borrowed for free from ROP’s film library. Contact us with the date you would like to show the film and your top choice and we will get the film to you in time for your local movie night. Email cara@rop.org to reserve a film today.
UPROOTED: Refugees of the Global Economy is a compelling documentary about how the global economy has forced people to leave their home countries. UPROOTED presents three stories of immigrants who left their homes in Bolivia, Haiti, and the Philippines after global economic powers devastated their countries, only to face new challenges in the United States. These powerful stories raise critical questions about U.S. immigration policy in an era when corporations cross borders at will. (28 minutes) Sign up to borrow this film from ROP (we will ship it to you!) or purchase it online. $20 + $3.50 shipping. http://www.nnirr.org/shop/videos.html
Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary
Persistent massive unemployment has left millions of Central Americans desperately impoverished, with little choice but to migrate to jobs in Canada and the U.S. Wetback is a powerful record of the journey of five Nicaraguans, with no documents and little money, as they make their way north on a dangerous journey. This harrowing film examines the paradox of the “wetback” worker the closer they get to the elusive “free world,” the less free they are and the more “illegal” they become. Following immigrants from Central America and Mexico on often extremely dangerous journeys to North America, Wetback examines the complexities of the immigration issues facing people on both sides of the border. From the U.S. patrol guarding the border to the immigrants risking their lives to cross it, Wetback focuses on the many obstacles in their way, including gangs and vigilantes, to expose the larger problems behind immigration rhetoric. (87 minutes) Borrow this film from ROP or purchase it online. $20. www.wetbackmovie.com
Oregon Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride
In October 2003, 18 buses of immigrant workers and allies traveled across the country and converged in Washington DC and New York City to lobby and demonstrate for the rights of 31 million immigrants. This film tells the story of the 47 Freedom riders that rode the bus from Oregon across the country. The bus carried immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, China, Taiwan, Palestine, the Philippines, and Siberia as well as African American and white supporters. Follow the riders, rally in communities across the country, and visit the halls of Congress with them as they share their stories of why they chose to spend 12 days on a bus to stand up for the rights and human dignity of immigrants. (1 hour) Borrow this film from ROP or purchase by contacting cara@rop.org or 503-543-8417. $15 + shipping.
Rights on the Line: Vigilantes at the Border
“Rights on the Line: Vigilantes at the Border” exposes the ugly anti-immigrant politics that lurk behind the Minuteman Project – and shows the continuum between official border militarization and vigilante action. This video was shot by human rights activists and residents of border communities. It tells the story of border tensions from the point of view of those affected and reveals the underlying motivations of the vigilantes through interviews and disturbing footage of their nighttime patrols. Purchase this film online: http://www.afsc.org/immigrants-rights/rightsontheline/default.htm
DOWNLOAD A POSTER TO ADVERTISE YOUR MOVIE NIGHT
CLICK HERE to Download Poster (.pdf)
CLICK HERE to download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
Read MoreWhat is Kitchen Table Activism?
Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly project of the Rural Organizing Project. Often building on quarterly themes, short actions are described in each KTA. The theory is that basic steps and tasks can lead to powerful collective results as small groups of people gather to complete the same action throughout the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep the basic tasks easily achievable so that groups with other projects or groups with limited immediate energy can still manage to complete the KTA each month.
Read MoreDismantling the War at Home and Abroad
Dismantling the War at Home and Abroad:
As we work to advance our progressive vision of rural Oregon founded in true democracy, human dignity, and justice, we see the war at home and abroad as our barrier. We are working to dismantle this war and the common systems and inequalities in power that have created the global war on “terror”, the war in Iraq, and subsequent erosion of civil liberties, breakdown of the safety net, and targeting of immigrant communities. Our overarching strategy is to build a growing movement of rural people committed global justice, peace, and real democracy that will be the undoing of all these wars. Read more about the War at Home and Abroad
Announcements
On April 26, join your peers from around the state for a day of strategizing to Dismantle the War at Home and Abroad in 2008 at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session. Together we will be developing next steps for building our movement in 2008, getting the cost of war back into the headlines, inserting a Cost of War message into the election cycle and more. Read more and register here.
Tools for your local Co$t of War Campaign
* Read Naomi Wolf’s Letter to a Young Patriot and start a study circle in your community
* Expand your local Cost of War movement by building relationships with those most impacted by the Cost of War through social service agencies
* Ask your community’s elected officials to sign onto a letter calling for the defunding of the war in Iraq. Letter available in Word or PDF
* Starting a Student Opt Out campaign
* Oregon Eyes Wide Open exhibit
Local Organizing Highlights
Over 60 Oregon elected officials have signed onto a letter calling for a defunding of the war in Iraq Read more
Rural Women Arrested while demanding Congressman Walden vote against war funding Read more
The Co$t of War campaign in 2006 & 2007: Constituents from across their district came together for People’s Town Halls on the Cost of War. Testimonials from Iraq veterans, military families in mourning, teachers, nurses, immigrants, youth, County Commissioners, and City Councilors held up the personal experiences and the community impact of lives destroyed by a war that has cost billions while social services and programs go unfunded here at home. Read more about the history of the Co$t of War campaign.
Read MoreReport from the Caucus and Strategy Session 2008
We were reminded that in this election year beyond every mountain is a mountain, but whether we are heading uphill, as we have over the last 8 years, or rounding a summit, or able to catch our breaths a little on the backside, we are in this for the long haul and we are needed for the long haul.
There was a genuine sense that people were coming together around the need to refocus and educate voters on the basic tenets that make us truly free, rather than operating in some sort of reactionary mode. They seemed to grasp that such an approach is the only real way to have any durable and sustaining impact on turning things around. The thing I enjoyed the most was being in the midst of such truly positive and healing energy. – Jeff Rogers, Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity
We then shared (amongst friends) what we hate about elections – the focus on the trivial, the money wasted, the lack of good media coverage of issues we care about – and what we love – for once people are talking politics and what an opportunity this year with record highs of new voters and enthusiasm for the possibility of politics! From there, we dove into ROP’s electoral machine with heart based on repeat contacts with voters that build relationships with voters to get out the vote for justice, but grow our base of human dignity activists who are connected to our groups beyond election day. The guests of ROP’s own “Days of the Lives of Human Dignity Group Activists” walked us through the basics tools and tactics and then we broke into Congressional District groups to talk about how we would apply this in our local human dignity groups and our collective power and goals as a district. See below for more details!
One highlight for me was the “ah-ha” moment of understanding our civic engagement project as an opportunity to build and energize SOD (our local human dignity group). I finally got that door-knocking doesn’t have to be about changing minds, confronting nay-sayers, or getting votes for an issue or candidate. I got that, using the ROP tools, door knocking can be a litmus test for potential members and first step in connecting with new people to build our membership, our mission and community awareness. I don’t dread it anymore. – Ann Kneeland, Seeking Out Democracy, Junction City
Our keynote speakers opened the afternoon with a talk that outlined the way that racism and wedge politics of fear and division have been used over time to diminish democracy and give way to more authoritarian government – and how these same tactics are being put into place in this election year through ballot measures that would target immigrants and expand prisons through mandatory minimum sentences.
Re-hearing the history of racism in our Oregon history is a sobering reminder I was VERY pleased to have a great rebuttal to lies about immigration. Now I need to memorize them. People are hearing distortions and lies and think that is the truth. – Martin Mijal, Portland Ally and Grant County Supporter
Afternoon sessions gave folks a chance to delve deeper into conversations and strategy about the key issues of the day: Organizing to Stop Immigration Backlash, Wrapping Ourselves in the Bill of Rights, and Those Wars Abroad: Peace Track.
The Peace Track focused on establishment of a Media Center that could be a long term tool for progressive messaging on why the wars at home and abroad reflect failed policy and what concrete, pro-democracy policies look like. A new idea that ROP is exploring in advance of the big election cycle that folks endorsed was exposing and documenting whether the numerous new small town military recruitment centers were, in fact, in compliance with legal mandates to actively offer every person they have contact with a chance to resister to vote. Stay tuned for more details!
I attended the Peace Track. I liked the way Mike motivated us to get the war back on the front page and connecting it to every other issue! This is so important and the establishment of the media center should be a great way to make this happen. I also got lots of tips to work with media. Excellent. – Kathy Paterno, Human Dignity Advocates, Crook County
Organizing to Stop Immigration Backlash allowed local leaders to share stories of how critical and difficult responding to this human dignity crisis is – and to discuss tools and strategies that have been successful. The group affirmed the different roles and significant relationship between the Latino community and non-immigrant and white allies in rural Oregon. Tools for inoculating our membership, our extended base, and our community at large against anti-immigrant arguments and myths was especially valued in this election year. Everyone agreed a Rapid Response structure was needed that was integrated into ongoing human dignity organizing but that would respond to anti-immigrant sentiment whether a local ordinance, letter to the editor, or immigration raid. ROP’s Immigration Fairness Network email list (https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/ropifn) will be used as a site for resource sharing and discussion.
It was a good reminder for me to update our Rapid Response info and … better collaborate on responding to the kind of one-at-a-time harassment, incarceration and deportation that Brad Porterfield (from Latino Community Association) was reporting. That is so scary-sounding… to have a loved one singled out and picked up and sent someplace in the middle of the night but you don’t know where or what you can do. There has to be some way within local areas to monitor and track that so that individual families can have support (and ICE will be forced to be more transparent). – Betsy Lamb, Code Pink Bend and Interfaith in Action for Justice
The Bill of Rights Session focused on affirming the framework of the Bill of Rights as a tool to 1) identify how our democracy is doing, 2) engage our communities in the state of our democracy (and how close it has moved to authoritarianism), 3) use this framework to talk through tough issues (a backdoor to immigration issues) and 4) practice using the Freedom Voters kit as the tool to engage our communities in this conversation through the election cycle.
I attended the Bill of Rights session and found out that this might be a good way to unite with other groups that do not necessarily think the same way on other topics. – Denise Steffenhagan, Human Dignity Advocates, Crook County
At the close of the day, we literally sang our way at the door and in the words of Woody Guthrie encouraged our movement, just like the might Columbia, to roll on!
Being involved with ROP is like a shot in the arm. I can take back all the collective knowledge & experience I absorbed while I was there. It was wonderful. – Dian Courtwright, Concerned Citizens of Coquille, Coos County
To access the tools and plans to help your human dignity group roll on this election year, go to www.FreedomVoters.com, check out this month’s Kitchen Table Activism contact ROP at amy@rop.org or 503-543-8417.
Read MoreFreedom Voters Campaign
Mobilizing our communities for Freedom and Democracy on November 4th and beyond! Join ROP’s Freedom Voters Campaign
Read MoreDismantling the War at Home and Abroad
During WWII, African American soldiers would wave a Double V for victory abroad over the Nazis and victory at home over racism. Similarly today, while we are working to stop the war in Iraq, there is a domestic front to that war being waged here at home on the poorest and most vulnerable members of our community. All of this in the name of "security." And all of this to the benefit of the same private corporate contractor few that claim to do security well, never mind civil liberties or human rights or economic justice.
Read MoreRebuild America
‘Make Levees Not War’ was one poignant and powerful sign at the peace vigils across the nation September 24th – connecting the dots eloquently between empire building abroad and de-funding of communities at home. In the neo-conservative age, our mantras have shifted. We find ourselves pleading for levees not love. As the consequences of de-funding our communities reveal themselves, it is radical indeed to look at shoring up the most basic forms of government – those that exist to make sure our water is potable, our children have schools, and we have communication systems that function in good times and in bad. Our nation had a staggering moment of consensus during the early days of Katrina. We all knew that we did not want to find ourselves or any other member of our community relegated to the superdome. Let’s build from that consensus.
Rebuild America:
The Country, Our Communities, The Gulf Coast
Hurricane Katrina revealed a national disaster in leadership and priorities. A change of course is needed now! The role of government is to protect the rights and promote the health, safety and well being of all people living in this country. We, the undersigned, call upon our elected leaders to take action to Rebuild America: The Country, Our Communities, The Gulf Coast.
1. Create Real Security: The gap between the super-rich and everyone else has never been greater. It threatens our ability to Rebuild America. We want: a. Fair tax contributions from corporations & the wealthy. b. A livable minimum wage. c. A real safety net to protect people’s basic needs of healthcare, food, shelter & education. d. Public employment projects that put people to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure.
2. Withdraw from Iraq: The US occupation of Iraq is now directly endangering US security and inflaming civil war in Iraq. We demand an orderly withdrawal of all US forces in Iraq, and the creation of a true international relief effort to rebuild that country. We want Oregon’s Governor to call for the return of the state’s National Guard from Iraq.
3. Protect the Rights of All: Since 9/11, the federal government has militarized society in the name of ‘National Security’. True safety means protecting the rights of all people and creating a society that offers everyone a decent standard of living. These basic rights are outlined in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Geneva Conventions. We therefore demand: a. Respect our Bill of Rights! Abolish the USA PATRIOT ACT and the REAL ID ACT. b. A realistic, fair, and humane immigration policy. c. Close down all secret prisons. Stop torture. Due process for all prisoners at home and abroad.
4. Build Sustainable Communities: Promote Energy Conservation as National Security. The energy crisis damages our security, our economy, and our environment. We say: Rebuild America with public investments in energy efficiency and conservation- to create jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign sources – using the Apollo Alliance as a model.
Rebuilding America starts with accounting for the Co$t of War. Click HERE to learn more.
Read MoreGet Involved
Here are just a few ways you can get involved in the work for social justice and a stronger democracy:
Act Locally
The heart of ROP’s work is done in local communities through human dignity groups. There are over 60 Member Groups of the ROP. Contact us at cara@rop.org or 503-543-8417 to find out what kind of local organizing is happening in your area.
Stay Connected Across the Region
ROPNET is the official listserve of the Rural Organizing Project. It is a secure list to the extent that all names added are involved with the work of the ROP. Our email listserve was one of the first to use email to organize when it was launched in the early 1990s. ROPNET is intended first and foremost to break the isolation that rural human rights activists can experience. Subscribe to ROPnet.
Become a Member of the Rural Organizing Project
Are you or your group committed to social justice and human dignity? Do you care about making rural Oregon’s communities exciting and vibrant centers for democracy? Do you want to connect with others who feel similarly and get support for your organizing? Join ROP today!
Read More
Stay Tuned In!
Mobilizing our communities for Freedom and Democracy on November 4th and beyond! Join ROP’s Freedom Voters Campaign Visit www.FreedomVoters.com Download these materials and begin engaging your community members today: Freedom Voters Guide Freedom Survey Freedom Pledge Cards Freedom Petition VolunteerPledge Thank You Cards Study Circles for Freedom & Democracy: ROP member groups are kicking off the 2008 Election Year with study circles to ground us in the challenges and opportunities in 2008. Check out Naomi Wolf’s Letter to a Young Patriot. Start a study group in your community or share your reflections with the ROP. Stay tuned for the Freedom Voter Guide, a tool to engage our community members to vote and act for justice in 2008! Jumpstart Your Civic Engagement by Registering Voters Early & Often Your Ballot Snapshot: ROP’s Preview of Initiatives Heading Your Way (as of January 2008) As we kick off the 2008 election year, it is not just candidates who are making the rounds. Here in Oregon, more than 60 initiatives are vying for a spot on the ballot. It may very well be the longest ballot ever. Unfortunately, nearly every one of these initiatives would take us a step further away from real democracy. True democracy and freedom requires an educated population whose basic needs are cared for, not an incarcerated one, protection of workers rights through strong unions and respect for the civil rights of all, not scapegoating of immigrant workers and targeting LGBTQ members of our community. Our government of, by, and for the people demands the resources to realize this vision of democracy, not tax loopholes and restrictions that hamstring government from doing its job. Dismantling the war at home and abroad means that it is not enough to bring the troops home and stop draining our resources for an unjust war in Iraq, though these are certainly a start! This election year, the frontlines on the home front will be waged through many of these ballot measures. Unions, immigrants, teachers, working people, women, queer folks, people of color, and all of us who believe in a fair and just world are targets this election. Every time we fill out our ballots we have a chance to vote to expand democracy. It is up to us to use our grassroots power to demand accountability and turn out the vote for justice. Check out ROP’s 2008 Initiatives Overview in WORD or PDF.
Read MoreJuly 2008 KTA: Bringing It All Home: Freedom Voter House Parties
From backyard ice cream socials in Junction City to fresh strawberry shortcake in La Grande, local human dignity groups are sweetening this election year with gatherings that educate and motivate their friends and neighbors to take action that grows their local movements AND builds votes for justice.
Read MoreAnnual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
Saturday, April 26th, Hood River, OR On April 26th, ROPers from every corner of the state gathered along the banks of the Columbia River for a day together at the Rural Caucus and Strategy Session focused on "Dismantling the War at Home and Abroad".
"I looked around the room and thought, ‘These people understand me. The issues I care about are their issues, too. We don’t have to pretend to be someone else or to explain what we are thinking. We are so much alike, and I am happy here.’" – Alice McCain, Coastal Progressives, Lincoln County
We kicked off our time together by affirming our role as movement minded human dignity activists. Read more
Read MoreDismantling the War at Home and Abroad
During WWII, African American soldiers would wave a Double V for victory abroad over the Nazis and victory at home over racism. Similarly today, while we are working to stop the war in Iraq, there is a domestic front to that war being waged here at home on the poorest and most vulnerable members of our community. All of this in the name of "security." And all of this to the benefit of the same private corporate contractor few that claim to do security well, never mind civil liberties or human rights or economic justice.
Read More on Dismantling the War at Home and Abroad.
Read More“The only answer to organized money is organized people.”
(Quote by Bill Moyers)
Dear Friends of the Rural Organizing Project, You don’t get to choose your moment in history but you do get to choose how you act in it. As we enter 2008, we find the majority of Americans leaning to the ‘left’, with the Democratic Party poised to regain political power in the country. Still, the problems that led to the Democratic resurgence remain intractable: a war that Congress cannot or will not stop, the danger of military escalation, a pro-torture Attorney General approved with bi-partisan support, and behind these problems, the relentless rise of a ‘privatized’ government, from Blackwater to Halliburton, that uses the expanding disasters of our world as opportunities for private profit. The challenges vary, but they are often dire. Yet there is also a positive aspect to our times. Since the old fixes are not providing solutions, we get to be smart, creative and local, building concrete alternatives for the future we desire.
Read MoreDec 2007 KTA: Awarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Certificate to a Community Member
This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is to award a certificate to a community member(s) whose work strengthens one or more of the thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Over the years, this KTA has been repeated as an annual action because you tell us that this is a fun, easy, effective and positive way to celebrate and raise awareness of human rights victories and struggles.
Read MoreSt. Helens resident launches petition drive on illegal immigration
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
This is from Wayne Mayo of St. Helens:
After making a presentation before the Columbia County Board of Commissioners and again that evening of the 18th in front of the St. Helens City council explaining the idea of proclaiming a “Illegal Worker Free County/City” of our community, I believe a more direct approach is warranted.
I have decided to form a political action committee to do a petition drive and get suggested statutes and laws on the books here in the county and the city of St Helens. I am asking for help from my fellow citizens alarmed with the lawlessness of our current predicament.
Among the considerations that I will ask on the ballot measures.
1. Should the City of St. Helens/ Columbia County add a punitive charge of $15k to the cost of every permit to build homes that were constructed with illegal workers?
2. Should the City of St. Helens require 4’X 8’ signs explaining the concept of a “illegal worker free community” at the entrance to every new subdivision and minor partition? Should that sign have the phone numbers of the building department and the sheriff’s department listen on the sign?
3. Should the punitive fees collected from the enforcement of this legal initiative be equally allocated between the building departments of the city/ county and the police/sheriff’s department of the same?
4. Should the appeal process of the additional punitive building fees be done through a new citizen’s committee of 6 dedicated solely for that purpose?
5. Should business’s requiring licenses one year to the next face punitive surcharges of $500/ month for hiring illegals on their staff?
6. Should landlords face similar revocation of their rental licenses and punitive fees of $200/month should they not provide due diligence in their rental practices to insure renting to “legals” only?
Their may be other considerations in the pursuit of this legal relief, but this is the beginning point. I am considering a Statewide petition drive as well.
I can be reached at 503-396-1114.
Columbia County Fighting Anti-Immigrant Proposal
No on 5-190 & 5-191!
Immigration is being used as a divisive wedge nationally, and with the collapse of the 2006 immigration bill, many local efforts are popping up that do nothing to address the root causes of immigration and global economic migration, but instead scapegoat immigrants and divide communities.
To learn more about the Columbia County No on 5-190 & 5-191 Campaign, visit: www.TimesAreToughEnough.com
ROP is committed to giving rural communities in Oregon the tools, information, and support to organize for immigration fairness. Keep us posted on what is happening in your community and let us know how we can help.
Read MoreROP’s Immigration Fairness Network (IFN)
We support justice for working people and human rights in a global economy. Currently, we see immigrants as the front line of assaults on workers’ rights and civil liberties. In a time of war abroad, the war at home targets our civil liberties, divides communities in the name of “security,” and has given rise to […]
Read MoreMaking this May Day something to Celebrate!
This May Day in Oregon there will be marches in Salem, Medford, and Portland and where you can join in, please do. But this day also coincides with a fight at the legislature in Salem that is stirring the hearts of working people and allies across the state. This is the effort to stop REAL ID, a real nightmare piece of legislation that targets some of the most vulnerable workers in the US.
Read MoreApril 2007 KTA: Signed, Sealed, Delivered – This War is YOURS Congress!
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? On Friday, March 23rd, the US House passed more ‘supplemental funding’ for the Iraq occupation; $124 billion, to add to the $70 billion approved by Congress in October. The Senate voted and passed on a similar bill on Tuesday, March 27th. Congress takes a two week break beginning March 30th and when they reconvene on April 16th, a joint Congressional Committee will hash out the details and vote the bill out of Congress and on to the President who has pledged to veto it if it contains any troop withdrawal dates. Things are moving fast and details change, but what we know for sure is that now is the time to keep the public pressure on to stop this war.
Mar 2007 KTA: ROP’s Rural Caucus & Strategy Session: THE place to be on April 28th!
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.
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Feb 2007 KTA: Fund Human Needs, Not Global War!
There is no better way for your group to ready your members and leadership for the Legislative Session than by reviewing what ROP leaders have researched and bring to your group as a lean and mean summary. So, we ask you to review the ROP Legislative Platform for 2007.
Read MoreBackground
ROP is a statewide organization of locally-based groups that work to create communities accountable to a standard of human dignity: the belief in the equal worth of all people, the need for equal access to justice, and the right to self-determination. Starting in 1992, ROP’s challenges to the anti-democratic right have earned ROP a national reputation for being an effective grassroots organization that takes on the hard issues. The catalyst for ROP was the Oregon Citizens Alliance and their outrageous Abnormal Behaviors Initiative, which targeted gay and lesbian Oregonians for legalized second-class citizenship. Oregonians in small towns across the state were mobilized, many for the first time, as basic tenets of the Constitution were at risk through this ballot initiative. ROP stepped into this organizing opportunity to fill a niche the radical right was trying to claim. ROP today works with 45 member groups, and another 25 contact groups, to organize on issues that impact human dignity and to advance inclusive democracy.
Read MoreJan 2007 KTA: Town Halls By the People, For Our Congress People!
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY? Long before the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003, local human dignity groups were pressuring Congress and the White House first, that there be no war, and then that the troops be brought home. Congress controls the budget and has the power to cut off funds. Public sentiment has shifted to oppose the war. Now is the time for members of Congress to stop funding the war.
Countering the Anti-Immigrant Movement: Bridging a Human Rights Wedge
Fighting the Right requires staying unified in our analysis of how the Right attempts to weaken us with wedges such as LGBT equality, taxation, and immigrant rights. The increasingly bold anti-immigrant movement threatens to divide us as progressives by hiding the overt racism that underlies its policies while manipulating real concerns that are driven by […]
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