Good News From San Francisco!

[iwp.ilo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (CEP )]

    I just came from an all-day meeting of the Coordinating Committee
    of the Movimiento por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes (MDI)-
    Immigrant Rights Movement.  The MDI is the most important immigrant
    rights group in the Bay Area.  They were mainly responsible for
    the defeat of Proposition 187 in San Francisco (the Proposition
    was defeated here 70%-30%).  They also organized two mass demons-
    trations with thousands of participants each and were the main
    organizers of Immigrant Pride Day 95 which had the support of over
    150 organizations, 150 artists and more than 5,000 participants
    last October 8.

    The retreat discussed many issues and took several important
    decisions.  The most important of them, IMO, was the decision
    to call for a left wing, working class coalition to present
    candidates in November 1995 for the 14 offices in dispute in 1996.
    In November of this year, 6 City Supervisors, 4 Board of education
    and 4 Vollege Board offices will be for grabs.

    The decision was adopted *unanimously* after reports and a
    discussion period in which many criticisms were raised about the
    delays imposed by the present Board of Supervisors (dominated by
    a majority of Willie Brown supporters) in voting on a Municipal
    Law against the Immigration and Naturalization Service's raids
    against immigrants and the recent refusal of the same Board to
    pass a motion calling for District Elections (a resolution that
    would have had enhanced people of color's representation in
    the City of San Francisco). The resolution against INS raids
    was presented by the MDI months ago with the support of thousands
    of signatures of SF voters.  The Board announced last November, in
    a public hearing in front of a packed room at the Board of
    Supervisors that they will consider the proposed law sometimes in
    January.  Now they are saying that the vote will no take place
    until February.  The MDI first presented this, and other proposed
    legislation in JUly and August last year.


    An official announcement will be done in the following week and
    the MDI will start holding discussions with left organizations,
    immigrant community organizations and Labor Party advocates and
    others in order to build a solid electoral coalition.  Immediate
    actions to start gathering money and resources will follow.

    It is important to note that the MDI/Latino is in itself a
    coalition-
    political organization with participation of Communists,
    Trotskyists, former Maoists, COC members and many independent
    community and labor activists who participate in it as individuals.

    The meeting was extraordinary in the sense of the unity obtained
    around this and other resolutions.
    This extraordinary circunstance is that the decision was taken even
    before the new elected "liberal" administration of Willie Brown
    takes power (tomorrow will be the big celebration and inauguration
    party -- great moment for the announcement)

    Particularly important is the
    fact that Mexican, Nicaraguan, Central American and South American
    Immigrant representatives and well as whites and Asians will be
    involved in this efforts.  Considerable efforts will also be put to
    attract activists in the African American community and Labor.

    The MDI-Latino is also an important part
    of the Immigrant Rights Coalition' leadership composed by over
    50 political, labor and community, and immigrant organizations.

    They also have excelent relations with the gay and lesbian
    community and militant sectors of the labor movement.  A program
    and an electoral platform will be developed in the next period and
    the issue of immigrant rights will prominently positioned on it.

    I will keep you posted.

    Comradely,
    Carlos



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