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July 28-30, 2006
Washington DC National Grassroots Immigrant Strategy Conference
A Success and Milestone for the Immigrant Rights Movement!
Yesterday We Marched
Today We Organized
Tomorrow We'll Achieve Our Dreams and Goals!
Organized
by: National Immigrant Solidarity Network
The 3-day (July 28-30, 2006) Washington DC National
Grassroots Immigrant Strategy Conference at American University
has been without doubt a success and a milestone for the immigrant
rights movement. Organized by National Immigrant Solidarity Network,
one of the leading coalitions involved in the March 25 Los Angeles
"Gran Marcha" and the May
1st "A Day Without Immigrants" General Strike/Boycott,
there were approximately 180 people from over 80 organizations across
the country in attendance.
The conference represented diverse groups, including Latin@s, APIs,
African Americans, African immigrants, European immigrants, LGBTQ,
women, youth/students, interfaith, peace/global justice activists,
white allies, labor, immigrant day laborers and community organizers
from two dozen states. Community/grassroots immigrant activists
from across the country met face-to-face for the first time to discuss
how to collectively build a new national, broad-based, immigrant
rights/civil rights movement.
During the strategy section on Sunday (7/30), we re-affirmed our
"Ten Points of Unity" for the
immigrant movement, and adopted the national immigrant strategy/action
plans for the next 3-6 months with more than a dozen working groups
[includes: Student/Youth, Labor, Direct Action, Day Labors, Border,
Events, Multi-Ethnic, Community Work, Legislation, LGBT, Women,
Deportation, Education & Outreach and Interfaith], and point
persons to coordinate each working group. We also began the discussion
of creating a concept of the immigrant solidarity movement: grassroots,
volunteer-based, direct action-oriented with strong emphases of
community outreach and popular education.
Some of the highlights included:
- Multi-ethnic, multi-issue and multi-constituent based immigrant
movement, inviting groups that traditionally have been marginalized
from the struggle, such as LGBTQ, women and student/youth, African
immigrants, African American, to be part of the coalition.
- Linking our struggles to the anti-war and global justice movements,
and mutually supporting each other's cause.
- Institutionalizing the May 1st boycott "A Day Without Immigrants"
and beginning planning for May 1st 2007.
- Supporting nationwide immigrant marches/actions during the Labor
Day Weekend, and the September 7th Camp
Democracy's Immigrant Rights Day in Washington DC, called by
antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan.
- Direct actions as an important part of the immigrant movement.
- Grassroots organizing strategy and education programs.
- 'La gran marcha fronteriza flor y canto' - Conduct a Border Walk
during Spring Break 2007, from San Diego, CA to Brownsville, TX.
- Working towards the creation of model legislation that resonates
with the movement's principles and values.
- Legislative campaigns, such as immigrant voter registration, and
supporting bills such as the Legal Immigration and Family Equity
Act (LIFE) and the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).
- National support hotline for immigrants who need legal referral,
detention support, or help with other urgent needs.
- Developing a vocabulary to replace "amnesty" and "legalization."
There's no doubt that this conference has been the beginning of
an historical turning point for the immigrant solidarity movement.
With other immigrant conferences in Chicago, IL organized by the
March 10th Movement and in Oakland, CA organized by NNIRR, we show
that we have the will and strength to continue our momentum, and
that we have the passion and energy to fight for our justice and
dignity in the years to come.
Please visit our photo
album showcasing the conference
Full
Report of the Conference
Lists
of the Working Groups and Point Persons
Yesterday We Marched
Today We Organized
Tomorrow We'll Achieve Our Dreams and Goals!
National
Grassroots Immigrant Strategy Conference
Friday - Sunday July 28-30, 2006
Ward Circle Building, American University
Washington, DC
Together,
We Build A New National, Broad-Based, Immigrant Rights / Civil Rights
Movement!
Organized
by: National Immigrant Solidarity Network
URL: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
Conference Flyer (Spanish
English)
Workshop
Structure, Deceision Making Process
Guidelines
of the Conference
Updated
Lists of Workshops and Campaign
Proposals
Submit
Your Immigrant Campaign Proposals!
Lists of Participants
The success of May 1st's "A Day Without
Immigrants" has been an historical turning point for the
immigrant rights movement. The National Immigrant Solidarity
Network was one of the main groups who helped to organize the
historical Los Angeles March 25th "Gran Marcha" and
the national May 1st "A Day Without Immigrants" boycott/strike
(Please visit http://www.NoHR4437.org).
At this point it's vitally important for the immigrant rights
movement to keep the momentum going, and there's an urgent need
for national meeting in which community/grassroots immigrant
activists can meet face-to-face to discuss how to build a new
national, broad-based, immigrant rights/civil rights movement,
and to set a 6-9 month national strategy for actions.
We envision this is a broad-based, multiethnic conference
of organizers, and we are inviting organizers from African
American, African immigrant, Asian American, Latino/Latina,
Arab-Muslim-North African, progressive labor, interfaith,
LGBT, student, anti-war/peace and global justice groups from
across the country.
Please
Subscribe to Our E-Mail Lists!
National
Immigrant Solidarity Network E-Mail List
National E-Mail List for Camapign Against
HR4437 and Anti-Immigrant Legislation
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