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"One-Stop Shop" for MoveOn Organizing // APRIL/MAY MATERIALS

Community Forum Meetings, 5/4/10

Bob: http://pol.moveon.org/event/2010townhall/

Guide: http://pol.moveon.org/2010townhall/guide.html

Venue guidelines: http://pol.moveon.org/2010townhall/venue.html

Guide to reaching out to partner organizations: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87800

Organizing Meeting Outline: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcg8c3r8_85dk8txsd4

Sample Council Organizing Plan: Sample Plan

Blank Council Organizing Plan: Blank Plan

Organizing Story:

Goal of the Community Forums: To bring people together identify a common story about the problem of corporate influence in our democracy and begin to work together towards organizing on solutions. We want to emerge with the ability to organize on various parts of the campaign--the main focus being large gatherings later in the summer.

Story of events: After a year and a half with President Obama in the White House, we've learned just how hard it is to make change. Instead of giving up, big corporations doubled down after the last election and have many friends in Congress willing to fight their battles. The health care bill showed just how hard we'll have to work to get a system that benefits struggling Americans, if corporations maintain their stranglehold over our political system and our politicians. The recent Supreme Court decision that lets corporations have the same rights as people in elections is the final straw. This is a 5 alarm fire--democracy is in peril. And it's going to require a citizen army to fight corporate influence, demand real accountability from our elected leadership, and reboot American democracy so it works for the hard-working people who make this country great.

This community forum will kick off a huge campaign to show Washington that we're done letting our Democracy be ruled by the profits of giant corporations. We're going to gather together in towns and cities around the country and come up with great ideas about how we organize millions of Americans to use legislation, elections, and community events to send a clear message--that enough is enough, and ordinary citizens are coming back to demand that government work for us.

FAQ:

Q: If we want to get central recruitment for our Community Forum, what are the dates when we can hold it?
A: Here's the deal:

  • The best day for the Community Forum is Tuesday, May 4th.
  • We can also recruit for events happening on Wednesday, May 5; Thursday, May 6; Saturday, May 8; and Sunday, May 9.
  • We recommend choosing Tuesday, May 4, which is when most events will be taking place. That's the national day of action. If you can't make your event work on that day, the best back-up dates are Weds or Thurs, May 5 or 6. The least-recommended but still OK options are Saturday or Sunday May 8 and 9. That's because weekends are the hardest time to get reporters to come out. And although earned media isn't the sole purpose of this event, we want to allow for the possibility of reporters coming.

Q: What's our approach to finding hosts and attendees for this event?
A: We're looking to hold ONE Community Forum in each community. We're asking all Councils to take the lead on organizing a Community Forum in their community. We'll also recruit hosts in other communities where there isn't yet a Council. And we'll recruit attendees online for all Community Forums that meet our basic guidelines.

Q: Can we invite federal elected officials or candidates?
A: No - we may not invite or allow Members of Congress or their staff to participate in these events. Because we're now in an election year, we need to be especially vigilant to avoid the appearance or reality of coordination with candidates. You may choose to invite state or local elected officials who are NOT up for re-election in 2010, but please evaluate whether or not that is a strategic thing to do.

Please also note: For legal reasons, please DON'T partner with any party organizations -- for instance, a state Democratic Party, or Organizing for America.

Q: What's the suggested program for the Community Forum?
A: Check out the Host Guide for the full agenda. Here's the summary:

  • Welcome/brief introductions. (~5 min)
  • Short prepared video. (~10 min) We'll provide a prepared video in advance. It'll help frame the rest of the forum. It may show MoveOn members and national progressive leaders speaking about how they experience corporate power, plus a tiny bit of educational framing on corporate influence in our economy & democracy.
  • Stories sharing in the big group. (~30 min) The purpose of this section is to give people in the room a chance to talk about how they are personally being affected by the power of big corporations, especially in the current economy. Washington isn't listening. The media isn't paying attention to these stories. But we will, because these are the most important stories that should be heard. Hosts should make sure there are at least 1-2 people prepared to speak to kick it off. 
  • Small groups to discuss possible solutions to the problem. (~30 min) We'll have a way of sharing all the ideas that come out of these small groups online, so that parties can see what other parties came up with. We'll talk about: 
    • policy solutions, from Fair Elections to constitutional amendment, to other ideas
    • organizing solutions: come up with ways to spread the word, get more people involved, and engage other organizations.
  • Conclusion. (~10 min)

Q: What are the key dates of mailings & materials?

A: You should get your event posted online as soon as possible. Here are the key deadlines for our Community Forums:

Big emails

  • Thursday, 4/29: Attend recruit #1
  • Sunday, 5/2: Attend recruit #2

Note: We'll send a special "late" attend recruit for events happening the weekend of May 8-9.

Deadlines to get your event posted online

  • Preferred Deadline: Mon, 4/26: 5pm ET (Preferred deadline; allows enough time to resolve problems before final deadline)
  • Final deadline: Wed, 4/28, 5pm ET (Final deadline if you want central recruitment email)

Materials will be available:

  • Friday, 4/16: updated Host Guide, most media materials
  • Friday, 4/23: sample host remarks, small group materials, sample final planning meeting agenda, promotional materials
  • Monday, 4/26: Video will be mailed to all hosts with confirmed addresses. (It should be received by Thurs, 4/29, and will also be available online by 4/29)
  • Thursday, 4/29: National Host Call, 9pm ET / 6pm PT, on (212) 812-2800 and enter 6031 9796
  • Monday, May 3: sample agenda for post-forum organizing meeting

Other organizing resources

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