Activists Convene in Atlanta
Immigrant Rights Groups Raise Their Voices for Equality, Dignity and Justice While Senate Debates Key Immigration Bill
(Oakland, CA-Atlanta, GA) Over 200 immigrant and refugee rights activists and community members will converge on Atlanta, GA to debate, dialogue and work towards a shared agenda for deep justice with thousands of other participants at the first-ever U.S. Social Forum (USSF). At the USSF, being held June 27 through July 1, 2007, immigrant rights groups will also continue demanding just and fair immigration reforms, calling on Congress to stop Senate bill 1639 now being debated.
They will participate in the march and opening ceremonies on Wednesday, June 27 at 2 pm EST.
Members of the Immigrants Rights Caucus, convened by the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, will carry out community meetings, marches, dialogues, workshops and other activities during the USSF.
In addition, they will hold a media conference on Thursday, June 28, 9:30 a.m. EST in Atlanta, at the Immigrant Rights Tent, near the registration table.
The media conference will address the hotly-debated immigration reform bill before the Senate and other concerns being expressed by immigrant and refugee communities during the Social Forum.
The Immigrant Rights Caucus, along with allies and partners in social, economic, racial and environmental justice movements at the U.S. Social Forum, will be directing their fire to stop the repressive immigration bill being debated in the U.S. Senate. The Immigrant Rights Caucus proposes reforms and other actions that protect and expand the rights of the foreign-born and redirect resources to address the root causes of involuntary migration, including political and economic instability and conflicts resulting from “free” trade and other neoliberal policies.
The U.S. Social Forum is the first-ever major grassroots gathering of communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities, social, racial, environmental and economic justice groups, environmentalists, human rights advocates, LGBTQ rights, women, youth and Indigenous peoples.
Consistent with the progressive “World Social Forum” process, participants will shape their discussions and proposals on building a better and more just world without war, poverty, racism and repression and in solidarity with the struggles of people internationally for social and economic justice and freedom from tyranny.
For more information, the full schedule of events and links to the latest news & analysis:
NNIRR Network News & Analysis: http://nnirr.blogspot.com
Migrants Rights Caucus: http://migrantsrights.wiki.zoho.com
NNIRR Dispatches from on the Road: http://migrantdiaries.blogspot.com
USSF homepage: http://www.ussf2007.org
NNIRR Homepage: http://www.nnirr.org
Excerpt from the NNIRR Statement on the US Social Forum
For Liberty, Justice, Equality & Sustainable Communities Across Borders
Determining Our Rights, Envisioning Our Future
A message from the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
“The U.S. Social Forum provides an ideal setting to cross-fertilize ideas, movements and communities. Only through such dialogue — becoming vulnerable and opening our hearts — can we as social justice movements become invulnerable. It is through the process of dialogue that we can arrive at a shared vision and analysis – the necessary preconditions to work from a shared agenda, where together we define our rights and organize to attain them as part of envisioning another future, the better and more just world that is possible, and that we must enact into being.”
click here to link to the full statement
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Click here for the Migrants Rights Caucus Workshops!
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USSF Immigrant Rights Tent Schedule – click here for the updated schedule!
Wednesday 6/27
10:00am – 1:00pm Immigrant Rights Caucus Orientation & March Prep
(Contact: Colin Rajah, NNIRR: 415-203-8763)
* Overview of USSF and Immigrant Rights (workshops, plenaries, other activities)
* Strategize messaging
* Plan for Immigrant Rights Press Conference
* Plan for drafting of USSF Immigrant Rights Resolution
* Immigrant Rights Tent management
1:00pm – 2:00pm Meet up with other delegations and contingents, depart together to Opening March
(Contact: Colin Rajah, NNIRR: 415-203-8763)
2:00pm – 7:00pm Open Space
Thursday 6/28
7:30am – 9:30am Bay Area May 1st Alliance – MIWON member exchange
(Contact: Liz Sunwoo, MIWON: 213-550-6042)
9:30am – 10:00am Immigrants Rights Press Conference (tentative)
(Contact: Arnoldo Garcia, NNIRR: 510-928-0685, or Diana Wu, NNIRR: 510-847-9339)
10:00am – 1:00pm South-Asian & Arab Caucus meeting & gathering
(Contact: Monami Maulik, DRUM: 347-385-9113)
3:30pm – 5:30pm Remittances: A Strategy for Transnational Migrant Organizing (workshop)
(Contact: Viviana Renella, TIGRA: 415-867-3707)
5:30pm – 6:00pm Immigrant Rights Caucus Daily Dinner Debriefs
(Contact: Colin Rajah, NNIRR: 415-203-8763)
Friday 6/29
1:30pm – 3:30pm Popular Education & Immigrant Rights Working Group meeting
(Contact: Diana Wu, NNIRR: 510-847-9339)
3:30pm – 5:30pm Las Remesas: Una Estrategia para que los Migrantes Nos Organizemos
al Nivel Transnacional (w/shop)
(Contact: Viviana Renella, TIGRA: 415-867-3707)
5:30pm – 6:00pm Immigrant Rights Caucus Daily Dinner Debriefs
Immigrant Rights Plenary Speakers Checkin
(Contact: Colin Rajah, NNIRR: 415-203-8763)
6:00pm Depart to Plenaries
9:30pm – 10:30pm Immigrant Rights Plenary Debrief
(Contact: Colin Rajah, NNIRR: 415-203-8763)
Saturday 6/30
1:30pm – 3:30pm Immigrant Communities in Action: How to Build Grassroots Immigrant Rights
Coalitions in Your City & Challenge the DC Model
(Contact: Kavitha Pawria, Immigrant Communities in Action (ICA):
718-216-0756)
5:30pm – 6:00pm Immigrant Rights Caucus Daily Dinner Debrief
Final Immigrant Rights Resolution Drafting
(Contact: Colin Rajah, NNIRR: 415-203-8763)
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The Immigrants Rights Caucus at the US Social Forum
The Immigrants Rights Caucus is convened by the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (www.nnirr.org).
The Caucus includes members and advocates from over 25 organizations, including the following groups and partner organizations:
· AFL-CIO
· American Friends Services Committee (AFSC)
· Audre Lorde Project (ALP)
· Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition (BAIRC)
· Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
· CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities
· Chinese Progressive Association (CPA)
· Coalicion de Derechos Humanos
· Colectivo Flatlander
· Colonias Development Council
· Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM)
· Esperanza del Barrio
· Families for Freedom
· Farmworker Association of Florida, Inc.
· Fuerza Unida
· Grassroots Global Justice
· Highlander Research and Education Center
· Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA)
· Movement for Justice in el Barrio
· Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA)
· Multiethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network (MIWON)
· National Immigration Project (NLG)
· National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
· Priority African Network (PAN)
· Progressive Communicators Network (PCN)
· Queers for Economic Justice (Q4EJ)
· South Asian Network (SAN)
· Southeast Regional Economic Justice Network (REJN)
· Southwest Workers Union (SWU)
· St. Peter’s Housing Committee
· Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research & Action (TIGRA)
· United Methodist Church – Women’s Division
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