Re: [Marxism] UFPJ Assembly, February 19-21

["acpollack2@xxxxxxxx" <acpollack2@xxxxxxxx>]

So was approval of 9/10 perfunctory ratification with little discussion? Any 
speakers motivating it as the next big thing?
You're right about the dangers of the National Guard thing becoming lobbying -- 
but it seems like an opening to become so much more.
Thanks for the report and the work you're putting into this movement.
Andy
P.S. As an ex-Solidarity member I'm not surprised they only sent three people. 
Disgusted, but not surprised.
P.P.S. Have worked with Meredith in past coalitions and it's always a 
nonsectarian pleasure.

-- Yoshie Furuhashi <furuhashi.1@xxxxxxx> wrote:
"acpollack2@xxxxxxxx" <acpollack2@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
>I was hoping Sharon's article would say something about what
>actually happened at the UFPJ assembly last weekend. Were national
>marches called for the fall and/or spring?

I don't believe that Sharon Smith attended the second UFPJ National
Assembly on February 19-21, though it may be the case that I simply
didn't recognize her.  I did run into Meredith Kolodner (who is not
only very smart but also quite beautiful) and one young man (whose
name escapes me) from the International Socialist Organization, which
appears to have cut back its participation in UFPJ (though there may
have been more than two ISO members in attendance and I just didn't
recognize them as such).  From Solidarity, Steve Bloom (Brooklyn),
Rae Vogeler (Madison), and yours truly (Columbus) attended -- a
smaller contingent than a group of Solidarity comrades who attended
the first assembly on June 6-8, 2003.  Michael Letwin (NYLAW), who
was my favorite among the fellow UFPJ 2003-5 steering committee
members, decided not to come.  I had not been participating in the
steering committee actively since the end of March 20, 2004 actions
and went to the assembly mainly to observe it -- naturally, I didn't
run for reelection.  Ajamu Dillahunt (Black Workers for Justice) and
Wol-san Liem (Nodutdol for Korean Community Development) did come,
but both decided not to run for the steering committee this time (nor
anyone else from their groups).  Austin Adkinson of Freedom Road
Socialist Organization and Rae Vogeler did run for the steering
committee, but neither got elected.  You can see the newly elected
steering committee at
<http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1874>.

All in all, the assembly this year was smaller, whiter, older, and
more conservative than the first assembly in 2003.

It should be noted that not a single Muslim attended the UFPJ
assembly.  I specifically asked a question about whether anyone in
attendance was Muslim from the microphone during the discussion
period at the panel discussion on "Building Alliances -- Challenges
to Our Movement" on February 20.  (Maybe no Muslim attended the
assembly in 2003 either, but I didn't get to ask that question at
that time.)

UFPJ is encouraging March 19th mobilizations, and some organizers
working for the Fayetteville action were allowed to appeal for
support from the podium.  The assembly also did vote for a proposal
for "World Day of Mobilization on the U.N. against War" on September
10th.  That's about it, as far as mass actions are concerned.

I almost helped to vote down the "UFPJ Legislative Strategy," but it
passed 154 (Yes)-65 (No)-6 (Abstain).  Many of the young people who
did attend the assembly were with me on this, and my argument in
opposition got a lot of cheers and applauses from them, which got my
spirits up.

Military Families Speak Out, American Friends Service Committee,
Vietnam Veterans against the War, and Veterans for Peace put forward
a proposal for "a campaign of state by state local organizing and
action focusing on the deployment of the National Guard, leading to
outcomes including (but not limited to) local resolutions, referenda
and hearings before state legislatures and other local/state
political bodies on the local impacts of the war in Iraq," with a
view to putting "local/state-based pressure on local politicians,
state legislators and Governors to oppose the use of the National
Guard in the war in Iraq."  Not necessarily a bad idea, but I hope
that local and state campaigns for it won't simply become occasions
for lobbying.
--
Yoshie

* Critical Montages: <http://montages.blogspot.com/>
* Greens for Nader: <http://greensfornader.net/>
* Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/>
* OSU-GESO: <http://www.osu-geso.org/>
* Calendars of Events in Columbus:
<http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/calendar.html>,
<http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/>
* Student International Forum: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/>
* Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/>
* Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio>
* Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>

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