In every
city where World Can’t Wait has organization, and in many cities where it
doesn’t yet, people will gather simultaneously at 7pm on Thursday September 7
to get organized. They”ll hear from
leaders of the movement, and meet others in their area ready to organize for a
day of mass protest exactly 4 weeks later.
Then, on Thursday October 5, in those cities, and more, people will make
a huge political statement that cannot be ignored by massing in large numbers
to say: “Bring This to a Halt! The World
Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime!”
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Send us reports from the Sept. 7 meetings:
In order for us all to make the best plans possible for the
next four weeks, we need to know what happened at these meetings as quickly as
possible. That’s why we ask chapters and
individuals to send reports to the National Office by Friday at 8pm EDT (NYC
time). Send to reports@worldcantwait.org.
It makes a big difference in making plans to know how many
people attended who will be building for Oct 5.
It makes a big difference to know how much money was raised, pledged and
plans made for further fund raising. For
example, can we buy a full-page ad in USA Today on Sept 19 on nation-wide Bush
Crimes Day when Bush visits the U.N. in NYC-it costs $114,000. It makes a big difference to know what
organizations have not just endorsed but will mobilize their membership.
–How many people attended?
–What prominent people spoke? Did they commit to speak on Oct 5? What else did they commit to doing to build
for Oct 5?
–What organizations were represented and what did they
commit to for Oct 5-endorse, mobilize their membership, donate?
–How much money was raised?
Pledged? What plans were made for
fund-raising? Are there plans for phone
banking on a regular basis?
–What are the plans for Oct 5? What are all the great ideas that came up?
Post the plans as they exist to the website by 8pm
Friday. You can add new elements as they
develop.
–Tell us all the questions that came up and ideas for
organizing that were learned about.
Tell us anything else you think is important that came up.
To all the individuals who responded to the need for Sept 7
meetings and just started because you realize how important it is to drive out
the Bush regime-Welcome!! It is very
important that you have given others a way to link up. Even if there were only a few of you at your
meeting, answer the questions above as much as they apply. Tell us your thoughts and ideas about how to
reach out to people in places where you are.
Tell us what you thought of the organizing kit that was sent out on the
website. Was it helpful?
Concept: Well-prepared
mass meetings to build real momentum right off the Labor Day holiday, with a
mission of rapidly expand the mass of people organizing in the 4 weeks leading
up to October 5. We will make use of
national advertising (another NY Times ad; Air America Radio), local weeklies
and PSA’s to get the word out.
Art and
audio will be supplied by the national ad team for local advertising.
The key to
“well-prepared” is:
advance
publicity;speakers
with clear & substantive messages consistent with “Bring This to a
Halt” on October 5;local
organizers having permits and basic plans in place for October 5;plans for
how to meet, learn from, and immediately activate people attending the meeting.
Agenda for
Organizing Meetings:
7-8:00 pm
Opening Plenary:
Dramatic Reading of the Call
2-4 Short Speeches including:
One
from the Organizing Committee to acquaint people with politics & purpose of
October 5.
Messages
from well known political leaders, performers, or voices of conscience on why
the Bush Regime must be driven out, and why everyone has to put their principal
energies into organizing for October 5.
These will come from different perspectives, but must be in unity with the
Call for WCW and express that message.
(The principal speaker may also have to close this portion of the
meeting to bring it back to this if in any way the content has drifted from
this).
Model
fund raising pitch that gets people to contribute as much as they can, and shows
people how to do this with others.
Organizing Material:
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8- 9:00 pm
Break-out Planning Sessions*:
Organizing Packets: Everyone should come away with an
organizing packet (which will be available on our website soon)
Materials in huge amounts. Many thousands of flyers, posters
and stickers should be available at the meetings (available on our website soon).
Everyone
should get a questionnaire (available on our website soon) to fill
out at the meeting that identifies the person and gets contact info, asks where
you learned about this and why you came and most importantly asks for
suggestions on how to make October 5 a smashing success and what they can do to
contribute to this, people they know, skills they have to lend, connections
they can make to organizations and social groupings etc.
A way to list
the main aims of the workshop (either large white boards or hand-outs) and a way and place for people to make
suggestions that come up in the meeting.
* These
should include
1) Mass
outreach with the Call and fund-raising (could list sign up for major events
like concerts and campuses that must be mass leafleted); postering2) Fund-raising:
Planning broad & targeted efforts to reach funders (individuals, emergency
grants, organizations)3) Production
of October 5 (program, sound, march monitors, banners and signs)4) Artists
and creative art work for and building up to the 5th5) Outreach
to organizations to endorse and actively mobilize for the 5th6) Internet
– creative ways to get this all over the internet7) College
campuses8) High
schools
The last
part of the plan will be brief reports to the World Can’t Wait national office by
8pm Friday September 8 so that we can assess advances and difficulties right
away, and adjust our plans based on them.